Performer Name: The Ragged Storytelling Collective

Show Name: Cân y Dŵr - Song of Water

Show Description

THE WATERS ARE SINGING. They sing of the Sea - Old Mam y Môr, born at the beginning; the mother of mountains. They sing of the Mountain - A 450-million year old giant; the bog weaving father of rivers. They sing of the Rivers - The three sisters; running on their 12,000 year pilgrimage o'r Mynydd i'r Môr. Then they sing of us. In our new show The Ragged Storytelling Collective weave the entire 4.5-billion-year history of the earth (abridged) with threads spun from deep waters of the first oceans, though geological mountain epochs, the mythic realm of rivers and into the polluted waters of human time. Mixing folk-ritual with documentary, story with music, puppetry with poetry Cân y Dŵr flows between mad science, mythology, folklore and history, with grief, anger, love and reverence for the waters that bring us life. A bewitching whirlpool of haunting harmonies and poetic eloquence, evoking both tears and laughter. A call to action that imparts hope, however fragile and urgent it may be. THE WATERS ARE SINGING, CAN YOU HEAR THEM? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Incredibly beautiful and so poignant!" - Jo Bond, Create-Ahh! "It was fantastic – I was utterly mesmerised – thank you so much!” - Jen Keen – Wye Valley River Festival "This is storytelling at its best!" - Stella Marie Sheppard



Accessible for blind audience members with pre-show touch tour of puppets & props, introduction to musicians and instruments played and summary of moments of movement requiring pre-explanation for best enjoyment. Audio-flyer to be made. All available if arranged in advance of the performance.
Adaptable to venue equipment, daylight or lanterns
Tour pack - https://www.kestrel-morton.com/_files/ugd/afbf0e_0742c7b26f104e3f96eb79cb4e47c5e4.pdf Company: 3 performers Venue tech support welcome where available Minimum playing space: 5m x 5m indoors or outdoors Get-in: 3 hrs A venue tour will be required by the host venue on arrival Get-out: 1.5 hours following performance. Sound: We tour with our own equipment and can be flexible, using in house kit or our own as appropriate. We bring a PA, microphones and all necessary cabling and mixing desks. We also bring our own portable battery system so the entire performance can be run off-grid in outdoor environments Lighting: Currently the show has no lighting – venue lighting can be used where available for a simple single-state effect Age guidance: The show is described as an adult show that children are welcome to with supervision. It's suitable for all ages but there are some scenes that have the potential to scare or upset, however with our mixed-age test audiences this hasn't caused any issues.
Poster and flyer designs available for print - contact to discuss details Promotional video trailer links available
The Ragged Storytelling Collective are an evolving new performance group that blend experimental oral storytelling with folk-music, ritual, puppetry and devised physical theatre, elevated with simple but effective set designs and a strong DIY ethos. Established in 2020, our debut show Binderella received standing ovations and enthusiastic reviews, being described as “spellbinding, stunning and inspirational" and rated at 9.6/10 in audience feedback. Becoming known for telling “tales both ancient, contemporary, fantastical and grounded - with an epic, visual, cinematic quality” with “twisting tunes and soulful vocals, coiling like smoke, weaving through the words like an incantation”, the Collective continually strive to push boundaries of what oral storytelling performance can be. Cân y Dŵr is the Collective's second touring show, and like Binderella, Cân y Dŵr continues to explore the Collective's signature style – blending traditional mythology with modern themes to create performances that feel both ancient and contemporary in the same breath. With a changeable line-up of storytellers, musicians, artists and friends that come together to create compelling performances, each appearance is a unique alchemy of skill, talent and magic. The Collective is made of artists who are queer, gender non-conforming, neurodivergent, disabled and/or marginalised. The Ragged Storytelling Collective are a new company that have grown out of Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival. Kestrel, recognised as an exciting new talent on the storytelling circuit has been supported through the festival's New Voices scheme. The trio have been mentored through the development of their first show, by Daniel Morden and Oliver Wilson-Dickson of the renowned Devil's Violin; generously funded by Arts Council Wales. "