Dominic Kelly, an award-winning contemporary performance storyteller based in the UK, gave Bangalore a priceless gift. A gift that we enjoyed as kids, but one which the drudgery of adult life robbed us of. Dominic's performance last week at the British Library revived the lost tradition of storytelling. The story he told, “The Gift”, was a retelling of a wonder tale found in versions from the hills of Scotland, Norway and Ireland to Poland and Russia.
Adding a contemporary touch to it, Dominic made the story relevant to modern audiences. He successfully “melted down an adult fairy tale and poured it inside a crunchy contemporary shell”. Dominic's dynamic style of storytelling enthralled the audience. The subtle way in which he wove within the threads of the story, strands of autobiography, created a rapport with the audience, thus drawing them deeper into the compelling web was masterful. A young king chances upon a life-changing gift, but in a moment's impulse, it's thrown away. He tries to turn the clock back, but there's a price to pay.
The hour-long storytelling led the collective minds of the audience through mist-laden mountain tops, glens, dales, meadows, valleys and castles. Dominic's style of storytelling has captivated audiences across the UK and the world since 2006. In 2009, he was awarded the national New Directions Commission by the Cambridge storytelling festival. On how he holds the attention of an audience in times of short attention spans, Dominic says: “A good storyteller is one who knows his characters well. The tools I use to tell a story are just my body and voice. The voice, in particular, is important as the listener needs to hear the world that is being described in your voice. I change the central gravity of my body to feel the different characters of my story.”
Fairytales are often associated with children; Dominic says this is a misconception. “What differentiates human beings from animals is their ability to think in terms of stories. We are hard-wired for stories; hence, the need for it never goes away. For adult-story telling sessions, I choose folktales, myths and legends as they are quite hefty and work for adults. It enhances their imagination.”
How does storytelling fare as against other forms of entertainment? “I believe storytelling rivals even the cinematic experience. Rather than watching what's going on in a screen, the audience watches what's going on in their own minds.”
