Join us for a night of poems and tales of myth, healing and poison:
Plants that Kill or Cure.
What an absolutely fantastic evening! Thank you to all who came to experience the magic of the spoken word, blending story, poetry and myth into a spellbinding session.
Thank you to both Paola and Xanthe – incredible talent and experience, your stories are superb and I know our audience were enthralled.
Over the course of the evening, we weaved our way between Hiraeth-inspired yearning for the Welsh uplands, poems of Mythical figures, stories of curious tea and Medusa all the way to Scottish Isles, the birth of the Universe and song.
We all had a blast, and we’re keen to explore opportunities to do something again – so watch this space, we’ll keep you up to date with our plans.
Thanks again to our audience, your support is crucial.
Until next time!
Date: Tuesday the 22nd of October
Venue: Lower Hall, St James’s Trust, 11 Blatchington Road, Seaford BN25 2AB
Time: 7pm for a 7.30 start
Tickets: £10 from Eventbrite (preferred) or on the door
The ancients knew the magic of the snake. It ripples like a river, is re-born when it sheds a skin and sniffs out medicinal plants. Like plants, snakes can kill or cure; the venom of the cobra is a morphine substitute and toxins from the sand viper treat cancer. Dosage is crucial. As in life, so in art…
Is it safe to imbibe the precisely measured droplets of spoken word as administered by the Doctors of Physick? To find out, join Seaford wordsmiths Rich Hume, Chris Goode and Xanthe Gresham as they team up with virtuoso Italian Storyteller Paola Balbi. Expect the hiss of Medusa, the scream of the Mandrake and spoken songs of Everyday Beauty.
Rich Hume is a poet who lives near the sea. Rich’s love of writing drives him to organise grass roots and community spoken word events, as part of the dynamic duo behind Seahaven Poets. Rich has written a book, and lots of poems, some of which you will find on his website: www.richardwrites.co.uk You will often find Rich in his garden, or musing over what to make for his nephew, making chutney or jam, or simply staring into space. Rich would love to see you at one of his workshops, or at a Seahaven Poets open mic.
Chris Goode has been in love with words from his earliest years. With Rich Hume he is a co-founder of Seahaven Poets, and is the instigator of a fortnightly poetry group that meets in Seaford. His poetry crops up in odd places around the local area, including the forgotten village of Tide Mills and the interior of a Brighton and Hove bus. He is a regular in various poetry groups in the area, and is currently working with a local writer to help prepare his poetry for publication.
Paola Balbi is the founder and co-Artistic Director of Raccontamiunastoria Storytelling Company, an industry leader in Italy and The Storytelling Company, the first performing storytelling company in the UAE. She has founded and helmed multiple International Storytelling festivals including Raccontamiunastoria International Storytelling Festival in Rome since 2009, Storytelling Time Festival (Bolzano, Italy) from 2012 to 2019 and Tales on the Island – International Storytelling Festival (Sharjah, UAE). A seasoned actress and renowned storyteller with over 20 years of experience, Paola has been featured at storytelling festivals all over the world.
Xanthe Gresham Knight ‘speaks like a woman spitting jewels’ (Arts Council England). She ‘unfolds each story like the petals of a lotus. At the end you leave with something beautiful created in your own mind’ (British Theatre Review). Internationally acclaimed, she has performed at the National Theatre, the Barbican, and Cheltenham Literature Festival, as well as festivals worldwide. The British Museum, Smithsonian, Harvard University, and the Chelsea Physic Garden are among the institutions who have engaged her. Books include Goddesses and Heroines and now A Herba Mythica: the Myths and Folktales of Sacred Healing Plants.
