Tag Archives: Bromley

#100mphdog

Things are coming together nicely for the summer tour of Jeremy Strong’s “The Hundred Mile an Hour Dog” and today I thought I’d share the poster image.

We are doing 99 presentations of  the story (I say we because these days its a team effort; Joseph Attenborough has agreed to create the soundtrack, the poster image for the project was created by Dan White and Dan McGarry is doing some presentations for me this summer so that I can have some time with my new family).  The dates are now up on the website so have a nose through and see if we’ll be passing your neck of the woods.

To keep in touch with what we get up to I’ll be using the hashtag #100mphdog on social media between June and October 2017.  I look forward to seeing you this summer!

Gods and Monsters: Approaching Homer’s Odyssey

John Kirk specialises in drama workshops and theatre for young people.A year ago I devised Dracula to coincide with The Summer Reading Challenge (SRC) 2013.  The piece was hugely successful and it has been my pleasure to present it across the rest of the country at schools and events since.  Time waits for no man and a year later I am about to embark upon an even bigger tour with an even bigger challenge: Homer’s Odyssey.

I had originally thought to give SRC 2014 a miss – Private Peaceful was a very demanding and very consuming project and I thought that perhaps I needed some time to reflect.  In February I was booked by Hammersmith and Fulham Libraries for four days of storytelling.  I knew that the obvious choice considering the theme this year is Mythical Mazes, would be Theseus and the Minotaur but I tell this already as part of my traditional storytelling offer to schools.  I briefly considered “The Secret Garden” as an alternative slant on the theme before settling on Homer.

There are many good reasons for children to hear The Odyssey.  It may be 3000 years old but its a really famous and influential story packed with Gods and Monsters.  Be it the Coen Brothers’ Oh Brother!  Where Art Thou? or the test of the Glass Slipper to find true love in Cinderella, shades of The Odyssey are everywhere.  The original is very skilfully written and as the plotlines merge it is clearly much more than an adventure story.  There is a strong message through the narrative about the foolishness of men and the wisdom and fortitude of women.  I have used this blog to talk about the role of strong women in fairy tales before and whilst Odysseus truly is a man of exploits and trials (many of which are brought about by ill judged decisions) loyal Penelope is admirably steadfast and dignified as she waits for his return.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.In recent months I have been doing more and more work around narrative poems.  I have explored Alfred Noyes’ Highwayman, Tennyson and even used narrative poetry as a device for telling the story of The Great Fire of Guilden Morden.  I have been keen to retain the sense of a narrative poem, its language and imagery, in my reinterpretation.  I say reinterpretation because mine will be an adaptation of Homer.  There is no way I could remember twelve and a half thousand lines of poetry but I hope that I offer a flavour of the journey as we follow Odysseus home in just 40 minutes.  My story must also have a sense of progression and therefore cannot afford to linger.  My other big challenge is making the piece accessible to very young audiences.  I want the experience to be fun but its important that the tone is right and any jokes mustn’t cloud the narrative.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.The result is a series of short stories which in the future I will be able to tell independently or present as a show following Odysseus from Troy back to Penelope.  I’ll be doing my usual array of voices, physical attitudes and helping the audience to identify Gods from the Monsters with suggestions of costume and some more visual setpieces.  (I have already redecorated my Kitchen with tomato juice in a failed attempt to produce a suitably gory effect for the blinding of Polyphemus).

If the preparation is an indicator of the summer to come then it’s going to be epic!

Dates from 9th July 2014 in London Libraries.  Follow link and check local listings for details of presentations.

“Saluting” my CityRead 2014…

Here is the story of my CityRead2014 in pictures.  The saluting came about when the group piled into the photograph at New X Learning.  It became a trend that would be repeated across London.

I started in Lewisham…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

and was next in Wandsworth.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

April rolled in with presentations in Barking and Dagenham…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

and Islington.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

As the Easter Holidays began the dates came thick and fast with presentations in The City of London…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

Waltham Forest…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

and Ealing.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

I did nine presentations in Croydon…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

eight in Haringey…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

with days in Merton…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

and Camden too – Phew!

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

When the schools went back we pressed on with huge crowds in Lambeth…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

Redbridge…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

and Brent.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

Not forgetting Hackney…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

Westminster…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

Kensington and Chelsea …

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

and Hammersmith and Fulham.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

As April ended I went to Bexley …

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

and Bromley to work with secondary school groups.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

My CityRead 2014 finished with May visits to Richmond Upon Thames…

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

… and Kingston Upon Thames.

John Kirk is a storyteller and drama facilitator specialising in drama workshops and theatre for young people.

65 presentations in 27 days across 23 different London authorities to 2300 people.

My CityRead 2014 was incredible.