Prometheus: At the Very Edge of Storytelling

The Greek myth of Prometheus is reworked into a series of poems at this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival, performed by writer-actor Philip Knight and set to the haunting guitar of experimental musician Michael Gosling.

Blending words, music, physical theatre and dance, this is a performance at the very edge of storytelling, reframing the myth as an exploration into the human relationship with the universe. Here, it wasn’t fire that was stolen from the gods, but that which differentiates us from other species: the creative spark.

Reacting both to each other and the text, the two artists deliver a living, partly improvised show with each performance, striving to find the ideal balance between words and music.

Asked what inspired the pairing and exploration of the classic myth, Philip Knight states:
“After many years of working together on different projects, Michael and I wanted to try working on a project which had no brief from the outside and no constraints put on it by other people’s agendas so it could simply be our artistic response to the story without thought as to how we would sell it.”

"An almost perfect balance between athleticism and oratory, and they do it with lapel-grabbing dedication" (The Guardian)

"A perfect blend of words and music" (Aberdeen Word Fringe)

31 October 2015, 2pm (1hr 30)
£7.50 (£6)
Scottish Storytelling Centre
43-45 High Street
Edinburgh EH1 1SR

Part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s 2015 programme, Stories without Borders (23 Oct – 1 Nov).