| WOSAS : F734 |
WOSAS/CD394/track4 R1304.wav |
| a Water of Life story | |
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| Sound recording, story; a wonder tale from the water of life story group, from Italy told by Hugh Lupton at a performance by The Storytelling Unit and guests, entitled Fire and Gold, at the October Gallery, Old Gloucester Street, London, 5th July 1985. | |
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| Story told by Hugh Lupton. A young man, Jimmy, discovers that his godfather is the King of England and sets off to find him. He is warned to avoid three men on his jounrey, one who is crosseyed, one who is crippled and one with mange. Jimmy avoids the first two men, but is tricked by the man with mange who is wearing a wig. He agrees to let the man accompany him, but at night the man steals Jimmy's horse and the letter which proves that he is the godson of the King. The man forces Jimmy to become his servant and masquerades as the King's godson himself. Once at the castle of the King of England, the man is set the challenge of retrieving the King's daughter from the island at the world's edge, so that they may be married. He sends Jimmy in his place. Jimmy is helped by a sea captain. They load a three-decked boat with cheese rinds, breadcrumbs and rotten flesh, and take these provisions to an island of rats, an island of ants and an island of vultures, all of whom offer Jimmy help in return. When they reach the island at the world's edge, Jimmy is set three challenges by the dwarf guarding the castle where the King's daughter is kept. Jimmy enlists the help of the rats, ants and vultures to complete the tasks. The rats level a mountain, the ants separate a mountain of peas from a mountain of rice, and the vultures collect a barrel of the water of life. The Kings' daughter is freed and they return to the King of England's castle. During the celebrations which follow, the man with mange slits Jimmy's throat, but Jimmy is saved by the water of life. The man with mange then kills himself and Jimmy tells his story to the king, and marrries the King's daughter. | |
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| The story is followed by comment from Ben Haggarty about the state of the storytelling revival in the UK in 1985, with reference to a number of artists visiting the UK and oral traditions gaining recognition in the UK. The comment includes reference to the First International Storytelling Festival at Battersea Arts Centre in 1985; to the first tour by the storytellers who went on to form The Company of Storytellers; and to the clubnights which ran in 1983 and 1984, with input from Sally Pomme Clayton. | |
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| audience:- | adult |
| recording quality | |
| condition:- | fair |
| completeness:- | complete |
| duration:- | 0 hours, 20 minutes, 51 seconds |
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| Performing in Fire and Gold were Ben Haggarty and Sally Pomme Clayton, who comprised the Storytelling Unit at that time, alongside guests Hugh Lupton, TUUP, Daisy Keable and Roberto Lagnado. Other performers are unidentified. | |
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| The West London Storytelling Unit (W.L.S.T.U), was founded in 1981, by members Ben Haggarty, Godfrey Duncan and Daisy Keable and based in an Afro-Caribbean Youth Centre, the Priory in Acton. The members worked together and as solo artists, telling stories mainly in school and community contexts in London. Over time performances for adults also began to be developed. In 1983 W.L.S.T.U became The Storytelling Unit with Marva Cumberbatch, Pomme Clayton, Daisy Keable. In or around 1985 Daisy Keable and Marva Cumberbatch left the Storytelling Unit, at which point Ben Haggarty rejoined and worked with Sally Pomme Clayton for a brief period before the group was disbanded. The increased interest and demand for storytelling performance for adults led to the formation of The Company of Storytellers in 1985. | |
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| storytelling:- |
storyteller: Hugh Lupton male / British / English / Welsh |
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| storytelling:- |
storyteller: Ben Haggarty male / British / born 30.11.1958 |
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| storytelling:- |
storyteller: Sally Pomme Clayton female / British |
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| origin:- | Italy |
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| October Gallery publicity | |
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| The Storytelling Unit publicity for Fire and Gold | |
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| Click to enlarge images | |
| administration:- |
storyteller; promoter: Ben Haggarty storyteller: Daisy Keable; Georgiana Jerstad; Georgiana Keable storyteller; musician: TUUP; Godfrey Duncan |
| storytelling:- |
Old Gloucester Street, London, England: The October Gallery
05 Jul 1985 public performance: Fire and Gold |
| gift from:- |
storyteller: Ben Haggarty |
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