What is a story slam?
A story slam is an open-mic storytelling event performed live to an audience, similar to a poetry slam. Anyone can put their name forward to stand up and tell a true, personal, five minute story on a chosen theme. The Moth held the first story slam in New York City 25 years ago. We’re both huge fans of The Moth live storytelling podcast, and thought why not hold a live Shetland Story Slam? And thanks to the Creative Shetland Commissioning Fund, we’re doing it!
But first, we thought it would be wise to get some first-hand experience, one of us as a storyteller, one of us as an audience member, at the granddaddy of story slams.
The Moth, Live in London
The Moth holds story slams throughout the US and Africa, and sometimes in London. The tickets sell out quickly, so the moment they went on sale we snatched up an audience member ticket and storyteller ticket. There are only ten storyteller slots for the night and more would-be storytellers, so names are selected randomly. The host for the evening pulls the first name out of a bag like a raffle ticket. The chosen storyteller takes centre stage in front of a mic. The moment they start to speak the clock starts. They have five minutes to tell a complete story: beginning, middle and end. When the clock hits five minutes, a single note on a harmonica signals a one minute grace period, when that’s up, a short medley of notes signals that they’re out of time. Before exiting the stage the storyteller picks the next person’s name.
Audience Experience
Ruth: "The small east London theatre is filled to its 200-seat capacity. The bar’s open and there’s a buzz. The theme for the night is “Only in London”. The Clash’s song, “London Calling” plays over the speakers. We find seats in the centre, third row from the stage. Anticipation is building. Then the host, Scottish comedian Layla McCay, takes the stage and explains the rules: no notes, it must be your story and it must be true. Then she encourages the crowd to – loudly – support the intrepid storytellers.
The storytellers are all great. Some have highly polished five minute tales and others have more in-the-moment energy. We hear about a marriage that started at yoga dating, the difficulty of selling ice-cream in a foreign language and how singing lessons helped someone turn their life around. But, really, I’m just waiting for Liz’s name to be called!"
Storyteller's Experience
Liz: "I lived in London when I was 19-years-old, decades ago, so I figured it was only fair that I volunteer to tell a personal story. Easy enough to do when the event is a couple of weeks away. I love swapping stories with family and friends. I make a living telling other people’s stories, comfortably behind a camera as a documentary maker, but the truth is I’ve never dreamed of, or wanted to be in, the limelight.
Up until the story slam night, I told myself that this was my chance to be bold and brave, but as I took my seat next to Ruth, my stomach in knots, I began to regret my decision. One by one people told their story, the audience laughing and cheering them, myself included. The atmosphere was electric. Then Layla, the host, called out “Liz Musser.” I unintentionally answered, entirely too loud, “Oh No!”. The audience cheered me onto the stage; I made my way to the microphone. My heart pounding, my mouth parched, I started to tell my story, froze, collected my thoughts and carried on. The audience, Ruth being the loudest, laughed and gasped when I hoped they would. They applauded when I finished. I felt supported. At the end of the evening, a few people came up to say they enjoyed my story. I was energized and relieved. I stepped out of my comfort zone and onto the stage. I have no regrets."
Get Involved
The first Shetland Story Slam is happening in Mareel on Saturday 22nd November at 7pm. We’re looking for people to tell stories on the theme of ‘place’.
If you’re interested in telling a story in November we’d love to hear from you. You can contact us at [email protected] or come along to Mareel's Cafe Bar on Wednesday 2nd July, 5:30pm - 7pm for an informal chat about the event.
There will also be a free two session storytelling workshop on 1st and 8th November - keep an eye out for the full details and how to book.
