Magic Island Storytelling Theatre: Strange Tales From The Isle Of Arran: Ghost & fairy tales & more.

So Moira, tormented by jealous thoughts of all that might have been going on between her lover Tod and her step-daughter Fiona, has passed on a curse with the cut of an outsized wolf's fang into Tod's spine. What will be the outcome of that? In a story like this, based on a Swedish folk tale, it can only be monstrous and disturbing and potentially deadly for all concerned....

Moira, believing Tod has been unfaithful to her with Fiona, her own step-daughter has performed a pagan rite to give her a little help in getting her own back. All she needs now is the opportunity... in a dramatic episode of this story adapted from a Swedish folk tale, which contains one scene of a sexual nature.

Things are getting intense in this story inspired by a Swedish folk tale but relocated here to the Isle of Arran. A drama of secret jealousy between stepmother Moira, stepdaughter Fiona, and Moira's former lover Tod is about to shift into the mode of the scary and the supernatural in an episode combining pagan magic with one moment of sexual aggression, so more sensitive listeners should be forewarned, with regard to what is evolving into a very dramatic tale indeed....

Continuing this darkly romantic fairy tale. At the end of the previous episode Moira spotted her stepdaughter Fiona having an intimate moment with Moira's former lover Tod, darting silently away in outrage. Now we get that scene from Fiona's point of view....

Continuing here an intense tale derived from a Swedish folk tale but relocated here to the Isle of Arran (which of course has its own Scandinavian Viking connections). Having lost her young lover Tod to faraway lands, schoolteacher Moira has "settled" for a perhaps less exciting life with Angus and his daughter - Moira's former pupil - Fiona. But now, Tod has returned to the island....

Contains one brief scene that some listeners might feel a little squeamish about -- please bear in mind, this is conceived as a very adult "fairy tale".

Here's the first part of what's going to be quite a developed, complex story. It's inspired by a Swedish folktale but, as is my wont, I've relocated the setting here to the Isle of Arran and very much produced my own distinct version: for example the original features the traditional Wicked Stepmother character well known from folk tale, but I rather empathized with that figure and have presented her in a much more complex and human fashion. So here's part one....

And so we come to the final act of this macabre Scots folk tale. It is macabre indeed, so if you have a low tolerance for the creepy, grotesque or the gory... well - as Edward Van Sloan used to say in the days of the old Universal horror movies - "you have been warned...." Morna is on the verge of saving her sisters Clodagh and Rona from the spooky old house and bloodthirsty enthusiasms of the Lady Laird and the husband she brought back from the dead, but those three sisters, quite literally aren't out of the woods yet.

OK, I know I said at the start this was going to be a three parter, but as you'll hear there's so much macabre incident & atmosphere in this episode that I'm going to need an Act 4 to complete the story, but that will follow shortly (sorry for the delay in completing this story - I've been down in London for recording sessions on my latest audio drama epic for Audible - and I came back to Arran with a cold which meant I could hardly speak two sentences without coughing). Meantime, here's the first half of the dramatic climax of this tale culled from JF Campbell's classic Popular Tales Of The West Highlands. Elder sisters Clodagh and Rona have disappeared into the snow - what can youngest sister Morna do but go looking for them, whatever the dangers...?

Here's the second part of my version of a rather macabre folk tale gleaned from the pages of JF Campbell's classic 19th century collection Popular Tales Of The West Highlands. Eldest of three sisters, Clodagh, has set off through the snowy countryside in search of work - and found only mortal danger in a spooky old house. Now younger sister Rona sets out in search of her....

Here's the first part of a story derived from that classic collection of Scottish folk tales, JF Campbell's Popular Tales Of The West Highlands - a splendidly macabre tale of three sisters who set out to find their fortune in the world... and find the world a scarier place than they imagined.

Here's the 4th & final episode of this repeat performance for my seasonal chiller first aired on Arran Sound radio Xmas 2021 - 22 (ignore the Twelfth Night reference in the episode intro: that was the original air date on the radio! - Don't worry: Xmas itself is the ideal time to be listening to this Gothic Ghost story!)

Here's the penultimate chapter of this four act tale of Victorian ghostliness, set on a very snowy Isle of Arran, just the thing for seasonal shivers!

Second part (of 4) of this old school seasonal chiller. The action has moved from Victorian Glasgow to the wilds of the snowy Isle of Arran - just the place, among other phenomena, for a rather creepy snowman to put in an appearance.

Christmas just days away so time for another outing for that perennial favourite at this time of year from my storytelling repertoire - a 4 part Victorian chiller in the grand manner, which begins in snowy Glasgow and shifts to an isolated house on even snowier Arran. Episode 2 follows tomorrow!!!

As a Christmas bonus, in contrast to my usual audio performances, here's a video performance of me performing, here on the shores of Arran, that traditional favourite from Scots folklore, the tale of the Selkie Bride - NOT filmed in the depths of December, as you'll see!

Okay, we're getting into the season for some serious creepy storytelling by the winter fireside, so here's my very Scottish, very Arran, reimagining of the classic Japanese folk tale Yuki Onna....

Final episode of this classic tale of lycathropic terror as an isolated family on the high moorlands here on the Isle of Arran are beset by a fearsome supernatural beast. Those who heard the preceding episodes will need no warning that this contains some seriously macabre storytelling elements.

Here's the second part of this tale just perfect for spooky season. Gruff Angus has softened his heart sufficiently to find a new bride in Christina, who came into the lives of him and his children one snowy night. But something bestial prowls the snowy forests and moorlands around their cottage.... (Contains some scary & violent scenes).

Here's a tale just right for Halloween time, or winter nights generally - my Scottish version of a traditional lycanthropic tale of horror, which I've relocated here to home territory in the high moors and forests of Arran. Rest of the story coming very soon!

The final part of this occasionally rather scary folk tale. Peter has run out of magic bullets - just ahead of the hunting test which might win him the hand of Moira and the post of Ghillie on the Duke of Hamilton's estate on the Isle of Arran. So he's crept up into mysterious Bogle Glen to try and forge some fresh bullets for himself by way of a pact with sinister, supernatural forces. This final episode contains some elements which might frighten the very, very nervous - BEWARE THE BOGLE MIDGES!

So Peter seems set for a happy ending - with the discreet help of magic bullets gained from a strange old man in the forest, he now seems set to replace old Andrew as chief Ghillie on the Hamilton estate on the Isle of Arran... and to win the hand in marriage of Andrew's daughter Moira. But what happens when he runs out of magic bullets. Scary things happen, that's what!

Here's the first part of a story I performed several times last year in the woodlands of Arran as part of Scotland's Year Of Stories and also in the grounds of Brodick Castle. It's a story you'll encounter in many variants all over the world but I first encountered a version of it in the German Harz Mountains where I used to work. But this version of the story relocates it decisively here to the shores of Arran, for a tale of frustrated love, the urge to hunt, and some distinctly supernatural intervention in both....

I was recently off Arran, visiting old haunts in the Scottish Highlands - particularly the wild Rogie Falls & Blackwater River north of Inverness, one of the places where I first practiced the art of storytelling. And here's a story I used to tell on the banks of that wild, tumbling river....

Second, and concluding, part of this improvised telling of a classic, and occasionally rather macabre, folk tale. Heroine Katy has supposedly escaped her murderous husband (after having previously cut off his hand) and now starts a new life right here on the beautiful Isle of Arran, where she is on a course for a very romantic happy ending. Unless, that is, her murderous husband has caught up with her....

Here's my version - in an unscripted, improvised performance - of an enjoyably gruesome, Grand Guignol-ish traditional folk tale, set in this episode on the Ayrshire mainland - though things will shift across the water to Arran for the next, concluding, episode -- which shall follow shortly!

Well, here we are with the final episode of this dramatic tale (originally performed last year, live in the Roots of Arran woodland as part of Scotland's Year Of Stories), an eco-Gothic folk horror tale of the consequences of an attempt to drive the route of a modern road straight through an ancient woodland with a disturbing history - and prehistory. WARNING: contains a scene of strong bloody violence.

OK, we know by now what a Dryad is & what the stakes are in the fight to save our destroy the ancient forest. Which means the scene is set for the dramatic penultimate act of this 5 Act folk-horror drama. WARNING: contains scenes of violence and psychological intensity throughout. You have been warned!

The third act of this dramatic narrative, originally performed last year in an actual ancient woodland here on the Isle of Arran as part of Scotland's Year Of Stories. Now we move deeper into the forest still, to learn more about Jim's (Jamie's?) past and to learn what exactly a Dryad is.... - Contains some elements not ideal for younger or more sensitive listeners.

The second part of my 5 part exercise in eco-Gothic, as previously performed in the ancient woodland of the Isle of Arran, as part of Scotland's Year Of Stories. We've seen Jim take up his new job as security guard in the ancient forest that's to have the route of a modern road ploughed straight through it. And we've heard hints that there might be more to this forest's history, and to Jim's relationship with it, than is immediately apparent. But enough of that... it's the next morning - time to start seriously digging a chainsaw a path through the forest, with Jim and the other security guards there to make sure the protesters keep their distance.....

Here's the first episode (of five) of an audio fiction version of one of the main stories I performed live this summer in the ancient woodland cared for by Roots of Arran, as part of our participation in 2022's being Scotland's Year Of Stories. It's an Eco-Gothic, folk horror tale of the strange things that go wrong when a modern construction company attempts to force a modern road through an ancient forest. More background is in the intro - which if it goes on a bit for you, gives way to the story proper at 9m 40s! Just imagine you're here on Arran and it's a summer evening, and I'm telling you this story as I lead you deeper and deeper into the forest....

Here's the dramatic conclusion of this four part ghostly thriller set here on the Isle of Arran back in Victorian times. Homeless Mary's dream come true of being offered shelter for the holiday season in a grand house on the island has turned to nightmare....

Continuing this repeat performance for my Victorian ghost story, set here on the Isle of Arran. Homeless Mary has accepted an uncommon offer of hospitality in a snowbound house on the island. But there's a catch to her host's generosity... encounters with terrible dangers, both human and supernatural.

Continuing this repeat performance of my Victorian ghost story set, by this stage in the tale, on snowy Arran. Homeless Mary has accepted an offer of shelter from a mysterious benefactor, who has taken her to his isolated home on the Isle of Arran, where he has a story to tell about his reasons for extending such uncommon hospitality....

Haven't had the chance to create any new episodes - sorry - I'm up to my neck in work as a writer for Audible, dramatizing Charles Dickens for exec producer Sam Mendes and co. - Oliver Twist out now, starring Brian Cox, Daniel Kaluuya and Nicola Coughlan, with two more to follow. In the meantime, as compensation, here's a second outing for my somewhat Dickensian Christmas ghost story set in Victorian Glasgow. It's in four episodes, and here's episode one....

And here it is, the dramatic and downright horrific final episode of my three part contemporary Glaswegian version of a classic tale by Edgar Allan Poe. Our backdrop is Glasgow's contemporary art scene, but the outcome of the story is as dark and Gothic as the E.A. Poe original....

Here's episode 2 of my three part reimagining of a classic tale by Edgar Allan Poe, shifting the setting to the modern art scene in contemporary Glasgow. This is the audio version of a show I performed to great acclaim at the London Horror and Edinburgh Fringe festivals to considerable acclaim. But you can enjoy the drama and chills in your own private headspace by way of this audio version....

Here's a second go round for my radically modernized version of a classic tale by Edgar Allan Poe - reimagining it in the modern art scene of contemporary Glasgow, but still offering the plentiful chills & Gothic drama of the original. I performed this show to great acclaim at both the Edinburgh Fringe & London Horror Festivals, as well as in theatrical spaces elsewhere. But here's the three part audio version....

This time round I translate a classic Russian folk tale into a very Scottish idiom - as a little gesture of my love for Russian culture at a time when we are sorely reminded how tragically unfortunate it can be in its leadership (though scarcely alone in world history, in that regard). Here's a tale of a heroic young woman taking on an arrogant demon intruding into her space....

This story is improvised from one of the tales in J. F. Campbell's classic collection West Highland Tales, our Scottish equivalent of The Brothers Grimm, a story that appealed to me for its sheer surreality. A fairy tale about three sisters who venture out into the world to discover the character building qualities of hardship, it has some striking twists and turns. (I should also say that the story contains male nudity --- but not the sort you're thinking of right now...)

As I explain in the intro, I was out walking the dog on the beach and came across a whole cluster of the seals who've taken up residence in the bay here recently. Suitably inspired, I rushed home to tell, unscripted and impromptu, an old favourite story based on the legends of the Selkies, seals in the water, somewhat more human up on dry land.

Just in time for Hogmanay - the final episode of this seasonal ghost story, in which we finally get to hear the real story of what happened three years before our late Victorian "present tense", the story that has lurked like an undefined shadow behind all the story we've heard so far. And then, after that journey into the depths of a disturbed mind, we take a journey into the literal depths where the dead and a dramatic climax are waiting for us....

In our previous two episodes, homeless Mary has been offered shelter for the Christmas season in the snowbound Arran home of good Samaritan Dr. Craigie. But she's encountered some strange things in and around the snow - a walking snowman, a strange doll's house and its inhabitants, plus a very mortal but also very dangerous trespasser out in the woods. But that only sets the scene for our story getting seriously weird and creepy in this penultimate episode....

Continuing our Christmas chiller in the classic Victorian Gothic manner. Homeless Mary has been offered shelter in Doctor Ewan Craigie's isolated house on the Island of Arran. It seems a Christmas dream come true, overshadowed only slightly by a mysterious snowman that almost seemed to move in the moonlight, and by the revelation that, three Christmases ago, the good Doctor lost his wife and children. Now, encouraged by a sympathetic Mary, he decides to tell his story.... (previously heard on ArranSound radio - arransound.com)

It's the time-hallowed season for ghost stories - so here's the first part of a seasonal, snowbound chiller, in the grand tradition of Dickens & M.R. James, being presented in tandem with its being broadcast on ArranSound radio here on Arran. This first episode begins in the meaner streets of Victorian Glasgow but then shifts across the water to Arran. For a happy ending? Well, even a seeming island paradise can have its shadows. What, for example, is going on with that strange little snowman standing just outside? And does the generous soul who offers our heroine safety and shelter for the Christmas season have more complicated motives than simple charity? 

Concluding part of this rough and tumble, improvised, unscripted performance of a classic Scottish fairy tale, a sort of Beauty-and-the-Beast variant. The curse of the Bogle has been lifted! A shaggy haired Highland bull has been restored to human form! Unfortunately, he's also been rendered invisible and inaudible to Jessie, the woman he loves - which means she now has to go on a long and difficult quest to reunite herself with him. (Originally performed on my radio show for ArranSound, Winter's Tales). 

Here's another of my improvised, unscripted fairy tale performances, as first heard on my ArranSound radio show here on the Isle of Arran earlier this year, a Scottish variant on the Beauty & the Beast tradition. Part Two to follow!

To wind up the stories from what was my first "season" as storyteller on ArranSound radio here on the Isle of Arran, here's a light-hearted (though not entirely un-spooky) fairy tale that originally came between Ballad Of The Driftwood Mermaid & The Unburying in the sequence, presented in a script-free improvised performance (I've performed this story a lot on my travels). Two foolhardy young fellows learn, through an encounter with the fairy folk in the mountains of Arran, learn to have more respect for "Old Wives Tales"....

Final episode of this spine chilling tale which transports a traditional Japanese Kwaidan to the shores of the Isle of Arran, producing a very Scottish tale of terror. Alec and Alice have escaped the manse haunted by a demonic presence. But up on the misty hillside, they find escape isn't going to be as easy as hoped. And what happened to the Reverend Galt after his own encounter with a monstrous shadowy presence at the end of the last episode? Previously heard on ArranSound radio, where it formed the final episode of my first season as their resident storyteller.

Continuing a very eerie tale which relocates a Japanese Kwaidan to right here on the Isle of Arran. Alec has stumbled upon the household of the Reverend Galt and his niece Alice, only to find himself attacked by the demonic force that nightly ravages the graveyard. Can he survive? You'll need to listen to find out....

Here's a spooky tale which began life, as I explain in the intro, as a Japanese folk tale - but not being Japanese I've transposed the tale, lock, stock and barrel to our native shores here on the Isle of Arran, thus making a very Scottish chiller of the story. A young man visiting the island encounters a young woman and her Uncle, a Presbyterian Minister. But in the dark of the night, something strange and terrible plagues their little kirkyard, eating of the dead....