Live Storytelling Performance
I’m a Scottish oral storyteller and author specialising in Celtic myths and legends. Through my House of Legends Podcast (200k downloads), bestselling books, coaching program and sell-out retreats I have developed a strong global following.
My performance style is both tender and fierce, embracing all aspects of a story from quests to battles to heartbreak. Influenced by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Michael Meade and Martin Shaw, I focus on making ancient stories feel immediately relevant to modern audiences.
Flagship Shows
I Would Drink Of Your Heart’s Blood
On a midsummer night on the Isle of Lewis, Griogair leaves the ceilidh house and wanders into the cave-strewn glens. Hearing a voice echoing among the rocks, he encounters a fairy woman who lifts the veil from the hidden world his heart longs for.
Yet there is only so much magic a person can take. The otherworld is not Griogair’s home, and a fairy woman scorned is a tempest that knows no bounds.
I Would Drink of Your Heart’s Blood weaves together Scottish folklore, poetry and Greek myth into a unique oral storytelling performance. Written and performed by oral storyteller and bestselling author Daniel Allison, the show ask why we long for the otherworld and what happens when we meet it.
The Cunning of Conall
After Conall and his sons are caught stealing the King of Norway’s prize horse, Conall is challenged to save their lives by telling tales.
Thankfully, Conall is no ordinary farmer. He has fought killer cats, outwitted giants and wandered corpse-stuffed caverns deep beneath the ground. This man has a tale or two to tell.
Full of comedy, drama and wild adventure, this Gaelic tale is sure to delight any audience.
‘Raven moved through the forest, following the sun. She grew wise in the ways of the wild wood, shunning the places where people lived.’
- The Six Swans
Storytelling in Schools
I am available for storytelling in schools throughout Scotland and worldwide.
Most schools book a full day visit, allowing me to spend time with every year group. I can select stories on a particular theme, such as Irish myths or Norse myths, or you can let me choose whichever stories I think your pupils will enjoy. I don’t just tell traditional stories - I weave in my own experiences, such as tracking chimpanzees in Uganda, trekking in the Himalayas, caring for a baby monkey in the Amazon, swimming with sharks in Thailand and seeking out Komodo dragons in Indonesia!
All my storytelling sessions feature live music on didgeridoo, jaw harp, drums and percussion. My aim is not only to entertain and inform your pupils – I want to show them that my dreams have come true, and so can theirs.
Sessions in Scottish schools are eligible for funding from Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Fund.
Read my profile on the Directory of Scottish Storytellers here.