What is it to be wild or civilised, animal or human? Was there once an ancient bear cult in Europe, and did our distant ancestors believe that humans were descended from bears? And does the wonder tale, “The Bear’s Son,” contain echoes of ancient bear worship?
These are the questions that underlie A Spell In Time’s new show, The Bear’s Son: Tales of Hidden Bulgaria, performing at Mr Rook’s Speak Easy in Rook Lane Chapel on Thursday 25th May.
A Spell In Time doesn’t claim to offer any answers to these questions, and instead invites you to take a walk on the wild side with man-bears, deer women and dog-headed people in an evening of earth-stirring Bulgarian tales of transformation. Interweaving storytelling, ritual and evocative music, the company evoke a mysterious borderland in which anything can happen: a wife goes missing at night, a girl falls under a dragon’s spell, and a hero who is neither animal nor man, searches for his true nature.
A Spell In Time is an acclaimed British-Bulgarian storytelling company that brings Bulgaria’s extraordinary myths and traditional tales to English-speaking audiences for the first time. The company first visited Frome two years ago with their show, “The Dragon Lover.” Company director, Moni Sheehan said, “The Bear’s Son is very different. It’s about the relationship between humans and wild animal nature. The stories are hauntingly beautiful and poetic but there’s plenty of humour too. For one, there’s an episode with a giant frog!
Musician, Ivor Davies said, “We’re really looking forward to our visit. Mr Rook’s Speak Easy is a brilliant storytelling club for adults in a beautiful venue and we received a great welcome last time.”
A Spell In Time has toured widely in the UK at venues ranging from St John’s Smith Square London to the Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival in Wales. Performers in The Bear’s Son are Moni Sheehan, storyteller and Ivor Davies, musician. Original translation is by Paraskeva Armstrong. The performance is for adults and not recommended for children under 12.
The Bear’s Son: Tales of Hidden Bulgaria by A Spell In Time will be performed at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) on Thursday 25th May at Mr Rook’s Speak Easy, Rook Lane Chapel, Bath Street, Frome, Somerset BA11 1DN
Tickets: £7/£5 on the door or in advance from http://tinyurl.com/m76awms
A Spell In Time website: www.spellintime.co.uk
A Spell In Time Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/ASpellInTime