Story Teller, Folk Singer, Crowd-Tamer...

Debs Newbold emerged from her native Birmingham armed with a bucketload of stories and songs from her Anglo-Irish family, a dirty laugh and a way with an audience.

She researches, writes, and performs original and traditional stories, full length storytelling shows and guided walks for radio, festivals, clubs, schools and weird and wonderful events all year round.

Strong, skilled and brimming with charisma, Debs can command an audience of 1000 at Shakespeare's Globe or light up the very tiniest performing space. She can enthral a 75 year old and charm a 5 year old - at the same time if you dare her to. She can deliver anything from a bawdy story-and-song evening for an adult audience to a specially written family storytelling walk in your local park.

Background

Before becoming a full time writer and storyteller, Debs gained a First Class Degree in Drama and English Literature at Manchester University and took a Masters degree in Performance at Goldsmiths College, where she was awarded a Distinction. After working as an actress and workshop leader for several years at theatres including Shakespeare's Globe and the Royal Court, she began working in live art as a soloist. This led to her performing stories.

In 2009 Debs told stories for BBC Radio 3, Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival, Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, The Storytelling Cafe, Shakespeare's Globe, the RSPB, Cecil Sharp House, the British Library, London Open Spaces, International PEN, fROOTS Magazine, The Magpie's Nest and in dozens of primary schools.

In 2010 Debs has been asked to tell stories from Shakespeare at the prestigious Guardian Hay Festival.

Debs is currently Storyteller-in-Residence at Cecil Sharp House, home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. This is the first residency the society have ever awarded. She's quite chuffed about this!

So...

...if you need a story told, an event compèred, a song sung or a crowd tamed, you can contact Debs for more details and bookings.