Review by Hunter King

The Scottish Storytelling Centre

As part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, three locals, Freya McCall, Sháneen McGurnaghan, and Nina Willms spun together stories that retold the lives of women, both real and fictional through their new storytelling piece Spun Stories and Unspun Fates. Taking place in the library of the Scottish Storytelling Center, the show was an intimate piece, feeling much more like sitting under the mantle of a fireplace with family than a performance, which worked perfectly not only for this piece, but for the festival overall.

The show itself was simplistic, with no changes in lighting effects, no added sound, no set, just three storytellers clad in white, spinning red yarn and communing with one another. In this way the focus was held entirely on the story. It is in shows like this, where all of the metaphorical eggs are in one basket, that the success of the show relies entirely on the audience connecting with one element. Luckily this is one of the success stories, where the story itself (as well as the storytellers) held enough interest to capture the attention of the audience for the full hour.

The story tells a piece of folklore that features a young woman leaving home and encountering a commune full of women spinning together, it is here that the young woman hears stories of actual women like Ella May Wiggins, an American labor unionist. The weaving of truth and fable felt very natural, as if the true stories themselves were becoming part of the fables that become cautionary tales for future audiences.

McCall is a fascinating storyteller, knowing which moments require extra flare and levels of dramaticism. It is clear her theatrical background plays a role in her experience of capturing the audience’s attention and keeping it held tightly. Willms leads her sections with a grinning satisfaction. Her sections, while often feeling slightly longer, often wrapped up the story in a nice and delicate bow. McGurnaghan is a very natural storyteller, often putting theatricality on the back burner for a friendlier and more recognizing patter with the audience. Her sections were especially interesting as she brought the audience in seemingly as friends rather than spectators.

Overall the three storytellers complemented each other well, providing distinct and different elements that, like the flax of the story, spun together into something that became more beautiful and prescient beyond the sum of its parts. The way they engaged the audience through song, interactivity, and intrigue made Spun Stories and Unspun Fates a memorable and prescient addition to the festival.

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