We had a natter with Tony Bonning (sadly, without Chief the horse), so saddle up for Year of the Horse at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival—a wild, spirited ride through horse lore packed with mythical kelpies, fiery Clydesdales, and real-life trekking adventures with storytellers Tony Bonning and Allison Galbraith. 

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Would you mind giving us insight into your art/event/performance?

This is a two hander, so Allison (Galbraith) will have another perspective. Over the past four years I spent nearly ten months trekking Scotland and the Isles telling and gathering folktales, mainly about kelpies and other water horses while raising funds for charity. The journey was over a thousand miles of pain, hunger and exhaustion, yet I would do it all again tomorrow. When you drive yourself beyond your limits, you grow, you get stronger and resilient in ways you never thought possible. As a storyteller I experienced first hand the journey of the hero. Not to be a hero, that’s for others to judge, but to do something heroic. By the telling, one might inspire others to be the hero of their own life.

Tell us about the creative team and the process involved in producing your performance?

The idea for the performance really came from Allison and our mutual love of horses. Horsie people just love talking horses, and given the opportunity…

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With the launch of this year’s programme, Birds and Beasts, how does it feel to be involved in the Festival?

Storytellers need little encouragement to tell stories – it’s like breathing. So being involved in something that covers all you love is as thrilling as it gets.

With shows from all over the world, is there anything in the production/team’s backgrounds and identity that influences the show? 

Horses

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Storytelling in Scotland is a treasured, if often unsung, craft within the media. For those who may be unfamiliar with a live performance, what can audiences expect?

Adventure, shock, pain and fun punctuated by a song or two

With one foot in tradition and another in the present, what do you hope for Storytelling’s future, either as a performance or as a community?

I put no value in hope. It’s passive My mother inculcated me with the pragmatic view: ‘Get on with it!’

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Interested in being featured on our Have a Gander page? With many previews and Q&As lined up, we’re always happy to chat about including your show in future articles. Please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’