Puppeteer and storyteller need your help to tell an old Jersey tale

Thursday 07 April 2016

A puppet maker and storyteller are back in the Island this week and need your help to tell an old Jersey tale.

Comedian John-Henry Falle a.k.a. 'The Story Beast' and Emma Reid, who has worked on Hollywood film sets including the new Star Wars film, are at the Maritime Museum this week bringing a local folk story to life.

Together they are weaving ‘The Story of the 13^th Fish’ based on the Jersey legend the ‘Witches of Rocqueberg’ – a tale of how a young fisherman fooled the witches that were supposed to live on a rock in St Clement.

Legend goes that the witches would demand the thirteenth fish in every sailor’s catch, or else they would cast a storm to sink their ship. But the fisherman outsmarted the witches by cutting an arm off a starfish - his thirteenth catch – so that it would resemble a Christian cross.

The story ends with him throwing it at the witches’ rock and chasing them away so that he could head home safely with his catch.

John-Henry, who was in the running for one of last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival’s most prestigious awards, will be running a number of workshops over the next few days with Emma who has just finished working on the new Beauty and the Beast movie, due to be released in cinemas in 2017.

Younger children will get to conjure up a potion with the puppet witches and make some basic props while the older ones create a 'spell' or 'charm'.  Teenagers and adults will make some mackerel and sardine puppets and will get to see a scarier performance of the tale.

The works-of-art produced at the workshops will become part of an exhibit at the museum. 

The workshops for Under 8's are running today from 10.30 am to 11.15 am. 

The workshops for 8-12 year-olds are today from 1 pm to 3 pm and tomorrow from 10.30 am until 11.15 am.

The one for teens and adults is tomorrow from 1 pm until 3 pm.

You can book by emailing Alice Bravery alice@arts.je or give her a call on 617521.