I’m more into storytelling than ever – seems as if elderliness is of a lesser problem in this profession. Recently I have been working with a Swedish folk-singer investigating the common roots of singing and telling. We use one of the oldest tales about the Nordic gods, Voluspá, as our point of departure.
In a couple of weeks I’ll launch an evening with unnerving stories by Selma Lagerlöf, a much loved Swedish Nobel Laureate. She grew up at the end of the 19th century in a mansion where they both cultivated classical music and tales of trolls & men. So a young classical pianist from the Royal College of Music, will play Beethoven’s piano sonata “Pathétique”. And, when there is a fitting pause in the score, I and a colleague will enter – not interrupt, I hope – with an appropriate story. Could turn out quite a ride.
Most rewarding of all, is my work as a coach. The company I belong to, Fabula Storytelling, has set up a scene for life stories, told by ordinary people – much like The Moth in New York. Helping someone, who never has been on a stage before, to deliver a true story to a large audience with nerve and sincerity – that makes me fell very, very much alive.