Oakheart and the Wonder Scrolls
A crankie and storytelling show
Oakheart and the Wonder Scrolls
A girl in search of her missing heart. A woman on a quest for her lost lover. And a poem in pursuit of eyes to see and ears to listen.
In Oakheart and the Wonder Scrolls, storyteller Bronia Evers weaves together strands of an ancient ballad, a visual poem and an original fairytale, with words and hand-cranked scrolling illustrations known as ‘crankie theatre.’
Oakheart lives a cosy, secluded life in the forest until one day her heart goes missing. A wild journey will take her to the ends of the earth and beyond, as she searches for a story true enough to call her heart back home. Meanwhile, the characters of an ancient folk ballad call to each other across the lonely chasm between life and death. Will they be parted forever, or can their love find a new form? Between these tales, a poem wends its way, leaving a trail of mysteries and understandings in its wake.
This show is suitable for brave children age 8+ and adults
Show length: 40 mins. Suitable for age 8+
Space requirements: Playing space minimum 3m wide x 2m deep
For theatres: please contact us for a full tech spec.
"A StoryNight classic! Exceptional talent headlining the evening. Cath Little and Bronia Evers brought us pure wonder, and woo’d us with their well-rooted tellings and gently compelling audience connection. A rare treat! And crankies and singing! Sublime!"
— Nell Phoenix, Storyteller and host of Story Night at Torriano, London
More about Beyond the Glass Mountain
This collaboration was born out of the Covid-19 lockdown. In 2021, Bronia and Cath worked together in their separate homes, commissioned by Beyond The Border International Storytelling Festival, to create a digital short film ‘Cold Blows The Wind’ . This ancient ballad tells of loss, the consolation that is to be found in nature, and of emergence from grief, through winter, into spring. You can view the short film here. The piece has since developed into a live performance project by Cath and Bronia, featuring a collection of stories exploring the themes love, loss and renewal.
Cath Little is a Cardiff-based Storyteller and Singer with “rough magic” in her voice, and in her words “the gift of the story comes through.” She has a strong belief in the power of stories to connect us to one another, to the land, and to the people who once lived here. Cath tells traditional stories from her Irish English heritage and her Welsh homeland. For more about Cath’s work, visit her website.
This short film Cold Blows the Wind was the starting point for our show Beyond the Glass Mountain. The live show features this ballad, sung by Cath with illustrations drawn and cranked by Bronia, alongside other stories and crankies, all of which explore the themes of love, loss and renewal.