Artists appearing
at Festival at the Edge 2025
Artists already confirmed are listed below.
We are starting to book our performers and are in discussions with lots of exciting acts. Please keep checking back here to get the latest news on confirmed acts.
Sue Bailey
Sue Bailey loves stories, whether traditional, modern or contemporary. She is no stranger to FatE, having told stories in the Children’s Marquee, and leading families to explore the local countryside on various story walks.
Sue has worked in Youth Hostels in the Peak District and Norfolk, taught in Kirkby in Merseyside, and told stories and run workshops at a number of places and venues over the years including Australia’s Castlemaine State Festival, and the International School in London. Since moving to the Isle of Wight, most of her work has been based there, telling tales at numerous festivals and community events. Highlights have included bedtime stories on the Kidszone stage at the Isle of Wight Rock Festival, Christmas stories by the fire for Forest School and a gecko themed birthday party for an 8 year old. She is always open to new challenges.
Her favourite stories are those with a twist in the tail, some humour including The four stages of man; Coyote and the money tree; and Anansi tales.
Since 2006 she has run the Island Storytellers a group that meet monthly to swap stories.
Since 2013 she has worked with visiting school groups from the mainland telling ‘Myths and legends of the Isle of Wight.
Find out more about Sue on her website:
Peter Chand
British Indian storyteller Peter Chand is one of Europe’s most renowned storytellers and is constantly in demand for his tales of life, love, and the supernatural. From a Punjabi background, he regularly visits family in India to collect and translate traditional folktales which he shares with audiences of all ages.
With a deep understanding of story and narrative he is a powerful and dynamic storyteller who sees storytelling as a means of connecting, entertaining, and a call to social action.
He has shared his tales across Britain and has also performed in Norway, France, USA, Lithuania, Austria, Canada, and Singapore, amongst other countries.
Peter is also a trainer of high repute, leading workshops with teachers, librarians, budding storytellers, university students, business leaders, health professionals, and anyone trying to find their voice and gain confidence when performing in public.
He has recently been awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Wolverhampton for his storytelling activities and for championing storytellers from a global majority heritage.
“This is like an audience with Paulo Coelho! Storytelling is divine”. Kemi B. Litera London
Keith Donnelly and Lauren South
Keith Donnelly, one of the most popular, and, yes slightly crazy, figures in the folk world, teams up again with the fabulous Lauren South. Keith’s songwriting and guitar-playing often take a back seat to his onstage mad-cappery. Not so in this duo (He promises!). Lauren’s stunning vocals on her own originals, Keith’s, and the odd ‘trad’ songs, not forgetting her violin, guitar and shruti box playing, never fail to ‘wow’ audiences wherever she goes.
Although this new combo might at first raise a few eyebrows, anyone who ever saw Keith work with Dark Horses, Nothing by Chance, or indeed (back in the day) Waterfall, won’t be too surprised to see him jump at the chance to work with a vocalist like Lauren. Anyone who’s heard these musicians separately will hopefully be as thrilled as we are to see the launch of this new duo.
Keith says – ‘This is probably the most important new duo since Steve Beer teamed up with that Phil Knightley!’
Lauren says – ‘Oh for heaven’s sake!’
Paul Elwell
Poet Paul Elwell was first inspired to try his hand at poetry in 1967. He is a regular contributor to Walsall Poets, Worcester Poets as well as other many other poetry haunts in the Black Country and Birmingham. But, it’s best that he introduces himself:
“It was 1967, the summer of love, when the world changed. It was the publication of Penguin Modern Poets 10: The Mersey Sound, which I read and discovered that poetry can be funny, witty, clever and entertaining. Above all, l found that poetry didn’t have to be about daffodils and nightingales, but could be about Batman and Woolworth’s and people like me and my experience. Despite being distracted by teaching English for 36 years, I have spent the intervening time trying to emulate my poetic heroes. I now hawk my poems around various venues in the Black Country trying to entertain unsuspecting audiences.”
Kate Green
Artist Kate Green began writing music in 2019 when she walked for 5 days from Wales to Birmingham (via Cleobury Mortimer) along the Elan Valley Aqueduct. Since then, she has shared her work in art galleries, theatres, churches and other community venues. Described by audiences as ‘high concept nerdery’ and ‘Bill Bailey-esque’, Kate’s performances weave art, philosophy and gentle humour into stories of rural life and landscape.
Andy Harrop Smith
Andy Harrop Smith has been telling stories in one form or another for 25 years. He prefers tales based on tradition and folklore with a liberal helping of humour and a just little darkness!
Of course he’s no stranger to FatE, having been a regular for many years. His offerings have ranged from spooky story-walks and new storytelling pieces to sing-a-long-a-Widdecombe Fair. This year Andy is bringing something new and magical to FatE – but what exactly? Well, that would be telling – you’ll just have to come along and find out for yourself.
Andy has told tales to toddlers and spun stories to seniors from Aberystwyth to Edinburgh and has seldom been pelted with rotten vegetables. He’s been a ‘storyteller in residence’ for Harry Potter Tours and at National Trust properties, and has spooked out audiences in haunted houses and ‘nights at the museum’. His story telling style is quirky, quaint and often liberally lacquered with dark humour. Andy loves dressing up and often sets the scene with home-made props (that usually fall apart).
Sonya Smith
Sonya Smith is a singer songwriter who began to write and perform her own songs in her middle years. Influences on her at that time lead her to explore many ideas and themes connected with self discovery and self valuing.
Sonya has a distinctive, wide ranging voice, described in many ways; from Beautiful & Haunting, to Honey Sweet, to Soulful & Blue. It draws you in and invites you to explore your own experiences through her emotive, lyrically rich, cathartic storytelling songs of passion & pain, loss & redemption, discovery & self worth :- the balance of life, in all its shades of dark and light. She accompanies herself on acoustic guitar. Her style is influenced by progressive folk, country and blues music.
Her songs have been played on several Radio stations, including BBC Introducing & BBC Shropshire’s Sunday Folk, where she played live. Sonya has performed at numerous venues & festivals including; Ludlow Fringe, Llangollen’s Women’s Festival, Landed Festival, Fringe Acoustica, Burning Woman Festival and Llangollen International Eisteddfod.
https://sonyasmith8.wixsite.com/website
https://www.facebook.com/SonyaSmithSinger/
Nick Hennessey
Nick Hennessey is a captivating performer, who weaves his unique storytelling style seamlessly with the most enchanting harp playing and singing to produce a truly magical and memorable experience. His work is deeply embedded in traditional story and music that focus on the relationship between landscape, communities and stories and the “reinvention of tradition”.
“Nick Hennessey is an internationally acclaimed storyteller, playwright, folk singer, song writer and musician. He has told stories for more than 20 years, performing at venues such as the South Bank Centre and Royal Albert Hall. He is particularly drawn to North European cultural traditions and has been awarded high honours in Finland for his work on their National Epic, Kalevala.”
In addition to performing, Nick has broadcast documentaries for BBC Radio 4, while his music has featured on BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he also runs “Stealing Thunder Storynights”, a storytelling club in Kendal, and associated workshops and outdoor events across the UK and Europe, culminating in a storytelling festival in the Lake District.
For more details, including clips of Nick’s performances go to:
Tom Kitching with Marit Fält
Author and musician Tom Kitching launches his new book and album, ‘Where There’s Brass’, with a special storytelling and music concert tour, including a performance at FatE.
Documenting six months living in the London waterways community, making the long journey across England from Manchester on a traditional narrowboat built in 1937, ‘Where There’s Brass’ tells the story of the contemporary London waterways; a floating slum at worst, a bohemian, alternative, vibrant community at best. It is a love letter to the waterways, and a rallying cry for what they can be in the future.
Stories old and new interwoven with a specially composed suite of music, underpinned by Tom’s long term accompanist, the brilliant Nordic mandola player Marit Fält.
This project builds on the success of his previous work, most recently ‘Seasons of Change’, the stories and music from 18 months busking around England.
*Photo credit – Elly Lucas
Merry Hell
Multi-award winning Merry Hell offer joyful, uplifting folk-rock, with a message of hope for troubled times. Native to the North-West of England, the 8-piece musical charabanc emerged from the embers of the much-loved folk-punk band The Tansads, before developing a life and feel all of its own. Their energy and passion are complemented by their love of what they do and desire to share hope and togetherness with as many people as possible.
Through 6 well-received albums and hundreds of gigs, they’ve offered voices of hope and beacons of light to anyone valuing both melody and positive humanity. Their live appearances have won many admirers, a recent review referred to ‘every performance a celebration’ and they are currently holders of Folking.com’s Best Live Band Award. The most recent release, Let The Music Speak For Itself distils 12 years together, 6 albums and 100s of gigs into a history and introduction to the band in all its moods, and has reached upper reaches of the Official Folk Charts. Their reputation grows internationally, with the 2021 single When We Meet Again hitting No.8 in the USA Folk Radio charts. Established as festival favourites through uplifting live performances, all confirming that this is a band continually on the rise. A new album Rising Of The Bold will hopefully continue the trend through 2025!
Michell, Pfeiffer & Kulesh
“Individually, all three are outstanding performers, together they are unrivalled” (Folking.com).
Michell, Pfeiffer & Kulesh are an all-female close harmony folk trio that brings together the exciting talents and exquisite voices of award-winning songwriters Odette Michell, Karen Pfeiffer and Daria Kulesh. Their stunning three-part vocal harmonies bring to life spellbinding folk tales, expertly woven together with an international twist – a project that would never transpired had it not been for the lockdowns, when three of the busiest female performers on the folk scene found themselves somewhat less occupied than before. Described as “tremendous” (Mike Harding), “exquisite” (Folking.com), and “entrancing” (FATEA), theirs is a unique cross-cultural, multilingual, multi-instrumental collaboration, turning familiar folk tunes into something fresh and powerful. Winners of the Introducing Stage at the Great British Folk Festival 2023 by audience vote, they truly wow with a deeply moving, exciting and unique live show.
Between them, Michell, Pfeiffer & Kulesh play guitar, bouzouki, accordion, dulcimer, shruti box, percussion (bodhran, stomp pedal) and woodwind (flute and recorder).
Their acclaimed debut full-length album Flowers was released in June 2024 and has received numerous positive press reviews, including this 5-star review from The Morning Star:
“Beautiful… Folksongs that tell stories of female empowerment and a desire for peace… As relevant as ever in our current times.”★★★★★
Website: www.michellpfeifferkulesh.com
RECENT REVIEWS:
“Beautiful harmonies enhanced by being sung in three different languages… Carries messages of peace and female empowerment…” – Folk London ★★★★★
“An astute mix of traditional and original songs with arrangements that delight the ear… A special joy is the trio’s close harmony singing – so tight that you couldn’t blow smoke between them… Hauntingly beautiful.” – Songlines ★★★★
“…The three singers perform their chosen material with care and attention to detail, with excellent accompaniment and, best of all, with delightful vocals whether solo or in glorious harmony… the heartfelt delivery of three very fine musicians.”
– RNR Magazine
Daniel Morden
DANIEL MORDEN is no stranger to FatE. If he isn’t booked, he’s usually in the audience. He is one of the UK’s leading tellers of traditional tales and has told stories for a living for over thirty years, in palaces and prisons, nursery schools and old people’s homes, from Australia to the Arctic. His repertoire ranges from awful jokes to thrilling adventures to poignant myths of love and loss. In 2017 he was awarded the Hay Festival medal for his storytelling. He is also an award-winning author. As a member of THE DEVIL’S VIOLIN, he created haunting performances of stories with live musical accompaniment. In 2020 he was awarded an Arts Council of Wales Grant to develop a podcast of stories to help us respond to the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic. www.danielmorden.org
Pete Morton
‘Pete is everything we want our singer-songwriters to be. Fiercely creative, proudly independent, skilful, talented, and terminally unpredictable’
Pete Morton began his folk musical journey when he came across a Buffy St Marie record. It was from that moment on he decided to become a folk singer. Discovering the songwriters of the early sixties folk movement, it inspired him to write and take his songs to sing in folk clubs and beyond.
For thirty years Pete has been performing to audiences around the world. Throughout that time he has been regarded as one of the best on the contemporary roots music scene. His latest album ‘A Golden Thread’ has received rave reviews with eight newly self penned songs, a Pete Seeger classic ‘Oh Had I A Golden Thread’ and a version of the traditional gem, ‘Barbry Allen’.
Often referred to as an old time troubadour he has a compelling stage presence and approachable style that delivers an unruly mix of humour, politics, love and social commentary wrapping its way around the folk tradition.
Mike O’Connor and Barbara Griggs
Mike O’Connor and Barbara Griggs are great fun.
They make music of breath-taking beauty on fiddle, concertina, harp and viol. Their unique repertoire is both original and from historic Cornish manuscripts, discovered during years of research. Both are Cornish bards and Barbara is also a Gorsedh harpist.
Mike is known for his beautiful tunes and evocative songs such as The Band Played Trelawny, Geevor Lads, and Carrying Nelson Home, and the iconic folk operas Cornish Lads, Unsung Heroes and The Cry of Tin. For TV’s Poldark he wrote four stunning songs for Eleanor Tomlinson.
Mike is also a nationally respected storyteller and author with a deep knowledge of Cornish folk-lore and mesmerising skill with words. Barbara’s skill at integrating music and words is, appropriately enough, the stuff of legends and has won much praise.
Their epics include the acclaimed Return to Lyonesse: ‘Storytelling Event of the Year’ and winner of a British Award for Storytelling Excellence. Their tale Odysseus Dreaming featured at Sidmouth Festival and Festival at the Edge. Their Cornish folktales are authentic, amusing and engaging.
An evening with Mike and Barbara is relaxed and entertaining, a delightful blend of fact, fiction and music praised as ‘balm for the soul.’
This year they are bringing their epic Prophecy of Merlin to FatE, along with other shows across the weekend.
Website: www.lyngham.co.uk/Mike&Barbara.html
Gauri Raje
Gauri Raje is a Scottish Indian storyteller, anthropologist and writer, who tells stories in various languages including Urdu, Hindi, English and other Indian languages such as Gujarati and Marathi.
Her notable performance projects include directing ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon’ a collection of stories for adults from around the world translated and told in 3 different Indian languages; ‘Tales of Exile and Sanctuary‘, stories from around the world exploring themes of exile; ‘Tales of Ice and Fire’, which includes stories of two goddesses from Scotland and India; ‘Old Deccan Tales’, a performance with stories collected by the daughter of a British colonial officer which were told to her by her ayah and ‘Rewilding Cinderella’, a collaborative performance with 13 other storytellers, musicians & poets of Cinderella stories.
She is currently collaborating with Scottish musician Mairi Campbell on a performance of the Indian epic of ‘Mahabharata’ and its connections to rhythms and stories from Scotland.
Her recent book ‘Cooking Tales’ brings together the “mini-stories” and everyday conversations about nourishment and food, and includes recipes and biographies of Asian women from the 1950s. It has achieved the Scottish Asian Award under the Spirit of Scotland category.
Carolyne and John Revell
Carolyne and John Revell are the founders and artistic directors of Kaleidoscope Theatre, an integrated company of players that has performed its original productions at many arts festivals and major venues, including the RSC’s Swan Theatre and the Edinburgh Festival, both countrywide and internationally for 40 years.
They are bringing their unique expertise and talent to FatE this year to provide an exciting opportunity to take part in workshops (Children’s marquee). Workshop participants will collaboratively create a Story-play (combining story, music and dance), which will be performed at the end of the Festival. This is aimed at families, but festival-goers of all ages are welcome.
“Together we will venture along the winding path through a faerie-tale forest, setting out upon a quest to seek and recapture lost stories amidst chaotic storm, beauty and terror whilst encountering enigmatic characters along the way.” (See detailed programme for more details).
You can find out more about Carolyne and John here: https://kaleidoscopetheatre.net/
Rolling Folk
As a prolific writer of songs, Rolling Folk gives Virginia Kettle the chance to share a variety of songs not included in Merry Hell’s sets. It is not a replacement for the band, but an additional outlet for her creativity and energy. Offering the same level of songwriting excellence as Merry Hell, but a different, more intimate feel, plus additional musical explorations, Rolling Folk surrounds Virginia with a fabulous and interesting selection of players, particularly multi, multi-instrumentalist Chris Lee, (Full House, Time Bandits, Family Mahone, Galleon Blast, Rad Co., etc, etc etc) and percussionist, whistle player and flautist, Mark Wooley (Ade Edmondson’s Bad Shepherds, Full House, session master and more) and more recently ace fiddle player Clare ‘Fluff’ Smith, again a (young) veteran of numerous projects, including a stint with The Incredible String Band. Add in Virginia’s bandmate and husband John, all giving breadth and depth to her musical and lyrical visions. She has been described by Folk North West magazine as ‘The best thing to happen in British Folk for years’ and who are we to argue?
Rolling Folk’s debut album “East Of Elsewhere” gained fabulous reviews and significant radio airplay both within the UK, and around the world.
*Photocredit – Jenfoto
Lisa Schneidau
Lisa Schneidau is a storyteller, folklorist and environmentalist based in Devon. She seeks out, and shares, traditional stories about the land and our complex relationship with it, and works with creative storytelling as a way of enabling better connection with nature and landscape.
Lisa tells stories for all ages at events, nature reserves, arts centres and schools, including performance storytelling and training for adults, story creation and development within education. She is a founder member of South Devon Storytellers and runs Dartmoor Storytellers.
She is the author of four books: English Folk Tales of Coast and Sea, River Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland, Woodland Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland and Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland (all History Press).
…Lisa captivates her audience, and makes you ponder whether the land always has a tale to be told and a voice to be heard… Beaford Arts
…a wonderful and powerful storyteller…Avon Needs Trees
Dave Tonge
Dave Tonge is an itinerant teller of tales – a storyteller and author who performs at museums, heritage sites, festivals fairs, libraries and schools across the UK. He works regularly for English Heritage, the National Trust, the Historic Royal Palaces, The Mary Rose Trust and the Ashmolean, where he runs his ever popular ‘Telling Heritage’ workshops that promote storytelling as an interpretive tool. Dave specialises in telling period rich and often irreverent tales that bring the ‘common sort’, the everyday folk to life. He also enjoys making storytelling accessible to a wider none storytelling audiences in the world of heritage. That said, he still likes to ditch his period costumes once in a while and can, on occasion, be found telling at storytelling events like Taffy Thomas’s Tales in Trust, Settle Stories and Festival at the Edge.
His storytelling collections include Tudor Folk Tales and Medieval Folk Tales for Children, both published by The History Press, with another – Trickster Tales From Many Lands – coming in 2025.
For more information visit:
https://www.facebook.com/dave.tonge.3
Dave is just mesmerising beyond words. I could listen to him all day long
Karen Bruce – John Skelton Festival
Just back from enjoying a spellbinding evening with the legend that is Dave Tonge telling some silly and some sad medieval tales, including the spectacular Sir Gawain and the Green Knight! A triumph of memory, mirth and marvellous mischievous story-weavage!
Debra Creates at Oakham Castle
Dave Tonge had children and adults alike gripped with his stories despite many distractions and wild weather. It was a delight to see that storytelling still holds huge appeal when done as well as this.
Mary Riall, Ufton Court, Educational Trust
The Yarnsmith of Norwich is every inch a mesmeric character, from the tip of his expressive finger-tips to the tilt of tall hat his stage persona grabs the audience’s attention. The stories themselves are irreverent and full of cunning, revel in life and are told with great flair and a real twinkle in the eye. He tells at times with an hypnotic quality, magically drawing you deeper into the tale.
Settle Storytelling Festival
Sef Townsend
Sef Townsend has been telling, sharing and listening to stories, across the globe, for more than thirty years. Much of his work is spent with refugees, and those in asylum detention, and he often tells in churches, mosques, and synagogues, as well as at museums, libraries, festivals and schools around the UK and internationally. He has been involved in Peace & Reconciliation projects in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Israel-Palestine. In the last few years his work has taken him from shantytown schools in South Africa to the National Museums; from the Korean Centre for Traditional Performing Arts, to a remote village and refugee camp in the West Bank.
He has, and continues, to share stories, give workshops and conduct his own research across North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, South America and Asia. He has published two books of folktales for children, with colleague Anne Johnson, and in 2024 was honoured by being made Storytelling Ambassador for the International Academy for Intangible Cultural Heritage. “Sef Townsend … one of our most popular, charismatic and talented storytellers” ( Nell Phoenix, London’s. ‘Torriano Storynight’) “Sef Townsend conjured up visions … conveyed in effective and chilling ‘sprechgesang’ The Stage.
Colin Urwin
Colin Urwin from the north coast of Ireland is a modern-day seanchaí. He is a folk singer, songwriter, oral storyteller, recording artist and author of several collections of folktales.
As well as telling hauntingly beautiful traditional tales in his rich and authentic voice, he weaves old folk songs and original rhyming monologues into his shows. With over forty years of performance experience, he works with museums, schools, libraries, and many other community groups. He also appears on festival stages all over the world.
Sarah Liisa Wilkinson
Sarah Liisa Wilkinson is a storyteller who delights audiences with her always engaging, energetic, and playful performance style. She has a particular interest in the folktales and myths of Finland and other Nordic lands, but loves to tell tales from all around the world. She has trained as a performer with Philippe Gaulier, and as a storyteller with Nell Phoenix and Ben Haggarty, and has told stories to people in the UK and internationally in theatres, clubs, pubs, festivals, churches, front rooms and all-night sleepovers. She is a member of The Embers Collective, a storytelling and music group in London.
