When writing or adapting stories for storytelling I pay special attention to the content and how it will help the students to broaden their vocabulary, improve their understanding of grammatical structures, their pronunciation and general concept of the sound of English in its entirety. I also consider the different register to use when preparing material for children from different age groups and school years.
The use of different adjectives to describe the same thing or situation is always a great help in introducing students to a more complex vocabulary and its uses. Always accompanying it with a gestural and descriptive theatrical presentation, giving the students a far deeper understanding of the use of these words and the ability to grasp new concepts.
I try to use a variety of verb forms in the same story or scene; present simple, past simple, past continuous, etc. The text of the story alongside the dramatization therefore allows students to deepen their understanding of the meaning of each verb and its different uses.
Panels containing key words and images is another way of presenting and highlighting the most important contents of each story or activity so the children can grasp the main ideas in order to understand them and enjoy the show even more.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
For all ages, even adults.
A classic modern children’s story/adventure. A very dynamic and fun way to practice intonation and pronunciation in general. This wonderful tale uses fantastic adjectives and onomatopoeic expressions to really help grasp the concept of the sounds of English in its true form. For all ages, from 5 upwards…..an extremely participative story. Can also be performed as an intonation and general pronunciation workshop activity for adults.
A Surprisingly Healthy Treasure
This story/theatrical show is one of my very own creations with different versions for audiences aged between 5 and 13
Two children embark on a fantastic adventure after visiting their local sweet shop. The story unfolds leading them to discover a very unusual and surprisingly healthy treasure.
A story with some very diverse vocabulary; the weather, the sea, geography, fruits and vegetables, colours, etc. It also deals with healthy eating habits. An extremely dynamic show with stage props, lighting and sound.
Dinosaurs and all that Rubbish
For 5 years +
A beautiful environmental tale. Actually one of my favourite picture books from my own childhood. Mankind, the humans are destroying the planet with their factories and pollution, but the dinosaurs who have been sleeping for thousands of years begin to awaken and return to the surface to save the Earth and nature and this time, share it equally among all the living creatures.
The Kind-Hearted Tree
For 7 years +
A lovely warm tale which deals with the importance of nature and respect throughout the different stages of our lives. It begins with the friendship of a little girl with a tree…..as the girl becomes a teenager, an adult and finally an old lady she repeatedly goes back to visit the tree. A story that appeals to children and adults alike.
Yuma Explains the Mystery of the Moon
For 8 years +
This story takes place hundreds and thousands of years ago, before civilisations, before cities, before countries! When people were only just starting to understand the world around them.
Yuma loved the moon. Every night she went out to the entrance of the cave and looked up at the sky and wondered. Another of my own stories, it’s about ancient storytelling, the phases of the moon and one very inquisitive little girl from long, long ago.
The Enormous Crocodile
Appropriate for audiences from 7 years with a high level.
One of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s tales. “The Enormous Crocodile” wants to find a nice juicy little child for his lunch, and has thought up secret plans and clever tricks. But the other jungle animals are willing to do everything they can in order to stop him. A story full of humour and vocal expressions. Some of the adjectives and verbs are quite complex.
Teenage 80’s London
12 years +
More than just a simple talk… A very interesting subject for teens presented in a theatrical and humorous way. By telling my own story about my personal experience as a teenager in London in the early 1980’s…It begins as a story and slowly turns into a talk and then a debate about “Youth Subcultures”. We look at and listen to 50’s Rock «n» Roll, Soul, Ska, Disco….and Punk. We also look at black music and the important bands in London’s history…
Yuma Explains the Mystery of the Moon
version for 1st and 2nd ESO
This story takes place hundreds and thousands of years ago, before civilisations, before cities, before countries! When people were only just starting to understand the world around them.
Another of my own stories, it’s about ancient storytelling, the phases of the moon and one very inquisitive girl from long, long ago.
Halloween
The history of Halloween:
Where does Halloween come from? In which countries and cultures did this popular festival originate? Different versions for all age groups. For infants and primary with songs…
The Mysterious Castle:
A very inquisitive woman can’t help following a series of mysterious messages written in luminous green, which lead her to investigate a very ancient house which the local inhabitants assure her is haunted.
Sita and the Tiger
From 6 to 10 years.
This story takes place in India… in a very small village, right in the middle of India. The only two animals that ever came to that humble little village were Gaja the Elephant and a fierce and terrible tiger called Baghinder.
The children help to tell this story by pretending to be Gaja the Elephant and Baghinder the Tiger. It could be ancient Indian folklore, but it’s actually another one of my own tales.
The Good Witch and the Happy Forest
For 7 years +
Why do we always think of Witches as being …Bad? Evil! Nasty! Wendy is a very Good Witch, a very Kind Witch. She’s got lovely shiny white teeth and a very normal nose. She lives in The Happy Forest…she loves all the plants, trees and animals and she cares for them….but one day something terrible comes to the forest, something that makes a terrible, horrible, nasty sound!
What could it be?…..Can Wendy the Witch save the Happy Forest?
Short stories and activities for the younger audience
Infants and 1st and 2nd primary
What’s in the Treasure chest? (a fun adventure with songs)
The Parts of a Tree (music and movement for learning the parts of the tree)
All the Animals (can you name the animals?)
Creeping Through the Forest (a short adventure using action verbs and some very silly music)
Move to the Rhythm (music and movement for learning the parts of the body)
Storytelling with picture books (this activity is ideal for small groups in classrooms and libraries).
A Fable for the 21st Century
From 3rd ESO to adults.
One of the oldest known storytellers was Aesop. Who was he? When did he live? Did he actually exist?
His fables have been told for thousands of years, in this activity, we hear one of the best known of Aesop’s fables then, I bring students into the modern day with my very own version of the very same fable. A chance to reflect and debate the moral lessons found in both of these stories, a very humorous look at the 21st century.
The Spotty Hippopotamus
For 6 years +
Some animals have stripes, they are stripy and some animals have spots, they are spotty.
A heart-warming tale about a rather different hippopotamus, a green hippopotamus with purple spots. The story deals with acceptance and friendship. It’s about spots and stripes, animals and being different. The story is set in the African Savannah, using a large map board to help the audience follow the journey of …The Spotty Hippopotamus.
The Last Bus Home
12 years +
One of the most symbolic things in London are the Buses, those big red double decker buses.
Felicity and her classmates from secondary school are going on a trip into the centre of London to the British Museum. Their teacher, Miss Watson, is apparently the great, great granddaughter of the famous Dr Watson. Find out what happens to Felicity when she comes across a little magic box that takes her on an adventure through time.
The Enchanted Frog Storytelling 