Tony “Monty” Hirst
Traditional storyteller, based on the Isle of Wight.
LOOKING FOR THE UK STORYTELLING EVENTS CALENDAR / MAP? CLICK HERE
Solo Shows
Solo shows for small venues and fringe festivals, as well as informal and short sets for community events, fundraisers, and beer and cider festivals.
- Short pop up sets
- 1 hour fringe shows
- 100 min shows incl. short interval
- 5/10/15/20/40 min standalone stories
- Open to collaboration with musicians
- Open to collaboration with other tellers
- LAST POP-UP: Ey Up Mi Duck festival, open mic tent (Sat, Sun)
- RECENT FESTIVAL OUTINGS: Trowbridge Festival 2026, Wickham Festival 2026, GIAF8 2026
- UPCOMING FESTIVAL OUTINGS: Beautiful Days (Rebel Tent) 2026
Fiddle Me This — Monty’n’Sophie
Stories and music, intertwined.
- Short pop up sets
- Full storytelling shows
- Musical accompaniment (violin; recorder)
- LAST EVENT: Three Rivers Festival, Sunday May 31st, 2026, Woodland stage
Monty + Sue Cain
Stories and songs, intertwined.
- Folk stories and traditional English and Scottish folk songs, reimagined
- Short pop up sets
- Full storytelling shows
- LAST EVENT: Ventnor Fringe Festival (+ Sophie Kate)
Monty + Berlingo Flick
Accompanied stories, narrative songs [contemporary original and traditional folk].
- Festival sets
- LAST EVENT: Gosport Sunset Festival, Saturday July 11th, 2026, Introducing stage
‘Tis Tales
The Isle of Wight’s original storytelling troupe…
- Originally Three Island Storytellers, [founded 2022]
Tea Tales
Pop-up tales in ad hoc venues.
- Short tales for opportunistic tellings
- As told at: Bearded Theory, Wickham Festival, Beautiful Days, Ventnor Fringe
- Festival pop-up venues: The Magic Teapot, The Tiny Tea Tent, The Something Else Tea Tent
- Fringe / local festival pop-ups: Two Cooks (Ventnor), The Met (Ventnor)
- Open to telling alongside improvised musical accompaniment (esp. guitar, fiddle/violin, piano)
Storynotes
Story variants and historical tale research notes.
- Background research for storytellers
- Short collections of multiple versions of traditional folk tales
- Retellings of traditional tales alongside original versions
- Collated contemporary newspaper reports for historical tales
Recent Outings
Gig In a Field (GIAF8)
Tales After Dark, main stage opener, August 2026
Wickham Festival
Tales for all ages; Tales After Dark, July-August 2026
Trowbridge Festival
Tales for all ages, July 2026
Ventnor Fringe Festival, Isle of Wight
Solo show (‘Solent Tales’); + Sue Cain & Sophie Kate (‘Faery Tale Blues, Take Two’) July 2026
Gosport Sunset Festival
Monty + Berlingo Flick, June 2026
Three Rivers Music Festival, Isle of Wight
Woodland Stage with Sophie Kate (fiddle), Community Stage with The AnyWhens, May 2026
Crown & Sceptre, Ross-on-Wye
Cunning folk of the Forest & other traditional tales, May, 2026
Wheatsheaf Hotel, Newport, IW
Tales of Old Newport, May, 2026
Sôlt, Almondbury, Huddersfield
An Evening of Traditional Tales, April, 2026
St Lawrence Village Hall
Monty + The Anywhens / Faery Tale Blues, March 2026
Roman Villa, Brading IW
Faery Tale Blues, + The AnyWhens, March 2026
Crown & Sceptre, Ross-on-Wye
The Sin-Eater of Ross & other tales, March, 2026
Kashmir Fringe, Quay Arts, Newport IW
Four Tales + music from Sophie and Glenn, Feb. 2026
Department, Ryde
‘Tis Tales / Tall Tales & Tiny Truths, Jan. 2026
October Books, Southampton
Monty + The Anywhens / Protest Days, Rebellion Nights, Dec. 2025
Carvel Lane Coffee House, Cowes
Dark Tales / Winter Tales, Nov/Dec 2025
St Lawrence Village Hall
Monty + The Anywhens / Protest Days, Rebellion Nights, Nov 2025
Bearded Theory Festival 2025
Something Else Tea Tent / Magic Teapot
Protest Days, Rebellion Nights
Monty + The AnyWhens
Ventnor Fringe, Isle of Wight, 25/7/25
Unforeseen Consequences
Solo show
Chichester Fringe, 31/5/25
Beautiful Days Festival 2025
Tiny Tea Tent / Magic Teapot
Wickham Festival 2025
Guest with The Travelling Talesman / Magic Teapot