The Story Machine
Following a sold-out run last year, The Story Machine has returned to Norwich. A blend of literature and theatre, this unique event is part of NNF’s City of Literature programme.
The Story Machine was housed in The Shoe Factory Social Club this year, an interesting change from its 2016 location – Dragon Hall. The risk certainly paid off. Decorated only by festoon lights and sheets of paper pasted on walls, the building felt skeletal and incomplete. The vibe highlighted the simplicity of storytelling and set the scene. The theme for this year’s event was “under surveillance”. Tales from a selection of renowned writers explored concepts such as seeing and being seen, political oppression, and the authority of the writer. Organised into “chapters”, The Story Machine gave us a choice of story to choose for each slot.
My first story was Fugue, written by Tom Morris and performed by Charli Corrigan and Ruth Dennis. Charli Corrigan shone as a young woman returning to her Caerphilly home. Morris captures the banalities of life, and Corrigan narrated the lion’s share of his tale with a charming everywoman persona.
Next up was Carys Davies’ The Quiet. This tense, repressed tale took place in the Social Club car park, using two parked cars as sole props. The narrated story was played through speakers; the two performers (Sarah Butler and Matthey Winston) remained silent throughout. This set-up emphasised the theme of abuse, as did the contemporary dance that accompanied the narration. The choreography, acting, and setting melded to keep the audience on edge. Light rain complemented the dreariness so perfectly, almost as if it had been engineered.
Separated throughout the night, the audience all came together for the final tale - Ben Okri’s Don Quixote and the Ambiguity of Reading. (side note: Ben Okri was present in the audience, just chilling in his beret). Colin Hurley, Gareth Armstrong and Emily Houghton animated Okri’s tale, amplifying its absurdity with vivid characterisations. The self-reflective piece was a hilarious, fitting end to the night.
I loved seeing performers interpret the stories of world-renowned authors. However, I feel The Story Machine would have benefitted from a greater selection of tales performed by their actual authors. Last year, a handful of authors told their own stories, giving the event a unique intimacy. This year, only published short story writer KJ Orr told her own story.
Nonetheless, The Story Machine proved of the power of oral storytelling. For someone who has their nose buried in a book most of the time, I needed reminding of the pleasure of having stories read to you. There’s truly nothing like it. Performers read from booklets, thankfully keeping the event closer to literature than minimalist theatre. I left with a renewed respect for both writing and performing. Let’s hope The Story Machine returns in 2018.
