The Golem of Prague
with storyteller Shonaleigh Cumbers
7pm 26th February 2026 at Leicester Guildhall
Once a Rabbi made a Golem of clay, a Golem to protect the community in times of trouble, a Golem upon whose forehead was written the Hebrew word “emet,” meaning Truth, a Golem who, on a piece of parchment, has the unutterable name of the Most High upon his tongue. He sleeps beneath the leaves… should you need him. This tale inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as well as writers such as JRR Tolkien and Terry Pratchett.
Shonaleigh is one of Europe’s leading storytellers. Trained as a Drut’syla by her Bubbe (grandmother) from the age of four, she carries thousands of oral stories from the Jewish tradition and shares their magic, mystery and wisdom with audiences around the world. Shonaleigh is probably the last carrier of this age-old tradition.
Don't miss this rare treat for story lovers, a chance to hear traditional stories from a true tradition bearer.
Booking HERE
7pm 26th March 2026 at Leicester Guildhall
Mythlab presents: The Bodies on the Beach
A preview of a brand new show by Steph Brittain & Ben Haggarty
Step into a maelstrom of myth as irrepressible storyteller Ben Haggarty is joined by electrifying new voice Steph Brittain in a raw rough cut performance of a bold new interpretation of a magical battle that shook the farthest shores of Ireland over two thousand years ago.
Centred on the legendary hero Fionn MacCumhail, his children and his life-long struggles with Donn, Lord of Death and King of the World, this tragic tale traces a long and powerful journey through generations of love, war, sacrifice, enchantment and survival. Combining fragments of 15th-century manuscripts, archaeology and folklore held by farmers, Bodies on the Beach is a resurrection of a forgotten epic – an unknown Celtic Iliad.
We need audiences to help shape how such passionate and unnerving material is reimagined for contemporary audiences. Join Ben and Steph — fresh from the windswept battlefields of the Dingle Peninsula — as they test the edge of ancient myth in modern form.
Raw, lyrical, and unforgettable. What will survive the tide?
SUITABLE FOR: adults 16+
CONTENT: This performance includes references to and descriptions of bereavement, death, sex, war, violence, cannibalism, incest, suicide, infanticide, contextualised within a paradigm of mythic narrative, archetype and metaphor.
Ben Haggarty has been a pioneer of the British and European storytelling revival for more than 40 years. He co-founded, with Hugh Lupton and Pomme Clayton, The Company of Storytellers, the first touring company of professional storytellers in Britain. He founded the Beyond the Border International Festival of Storytelling and Epic Singing and founded and directs the Crick Crack Club to this day. He has studied epic performance traditions in Central Asia and Central India.
Steph Brittain grew up in the West Midlands and is a Drama therapist and storyteller. She trained at Central School of Speech and Drama and studied Kathak dance in India. Since 2022, she has been a key member of epic storytelling group, Pandvani 108, working alongside Ben Haggarty and Emily Hennessey.
Steph Brittain grew up in the West Midlands and is a Drama therapist and storyteller. She trained at Central School of Speech and Drama and studied Kathak dance in India. Since 2022, she has been a key member of epic storytelling group, Pandvani 108, working alongside Ben Haggarty and Emily Hennessey.
Booking HERE
Looking further ahead...
7pm 30th April 2026
Tim Ralphs - Italian Fairy Tales
7pm 28th May 2026
Simon Heywood (tbc) - Arthurian
More details and booking shortly.