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WOSAS : F886 WOSAS/CD267/track1
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Devil on the Dun Cow, The

Sound recording, story; The Devil on the Dun Cow, a legend and outwitting the devil story from Burnley Lancashire, told by Ben Haggarty as part of a performance by The Company of Storytellers, at Speke Hall, Dowlish Wake, 30th November 1990

Music played by The Company of Storytellers, introduction by Hugh Lupton and further music, followed by story told by Ben Haggarty. A drunk tailor makes a deal with the devil, agreeing to give the devil his soul after 25 years in return for three wishes. The tailor wastes his wishes. He then visits a witch on Pendle Hill who tells him how he could have gained health wealth and happiness without the help of the devil. The tailor takes her advice, and when the devil appears 25 years later, he persuades the devil to give him one more wish which he uses to get rid of the devil.

audience:- adult
    recording quality
condition:- good; fair
completeness:- complete
duration:- 0 hours, 18 minutes, 15 seconds

The Company of Storytellers at this time comprised Ben Haggarty, Sally Pomme Clayton and Hugh Lupton.

The Company of Storytellers (C.O.S.T) was formed in March/April 1985 with the expressed aim of performing storytelling for adult audiences. C.O.S.T was actually formed during a tour in East Anglia by Sally Pomme Clayton, Hugh Lupton and Ben Haggarty. The official launch of COST was in 1986 at Common Stock Theatre, London. At this point the members of C.O.S.T were Sally Pomme Clayton, TUUP, Ben Haggarty, Daisy Keable, Hugh Lupton. However TUUP and Daisy Keable did not remain in the group and it is as a trio of storytellers, Ben Haggarty, Hugh Lupton and Sally Pomme Clayton, that C.O.S.T is publicly known. C.O.S.T was disbanded in 1999, but periodically reforms to perform the Three Snake Leaves. The two seminal pieces developed and performed by C.O.S.T were The Three Snake Leaves and I Become Part of It.

storytelling:- storytelling group: The Company of Storytellers

storytelling:- storyteller; musician: Ben Haggarty
male / British / born 30.11.1958

storytelling:- storyteller; musician: Sally Pomme Clayton
female / British

storytelling:- storyteller; musician: Hugh Lupton
male / British / English / Welsh

origin:- Burnley, Lancashire, England


storytelling:- Dowlish Wake, Somerset, England: Speke Hall
30 Nov 1990
public performance


gift from:-


©  The London Centre for International Storytelling: 2007
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