Ahead of Salmon Fairytale at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the 29th of April, Georgiana Keable, one of the performers, gives us some background on the show and their influences.

Tell us about your show, Salmon Fairytale.

Salmon Fairytale is about wonder and madness; we combine joik (traditional song), philosophy and stories from Sami and North-American indigenous traditions. Considering the amazing lifecycle of these beautiful creatures, the piece considers what connects salmon, philosophy and traditional storytelling, and asks: what has the industry done to the fish? Using the traditional arts, we rebuild the age-old relationship between humans and salmon.

How did you become interested in storytelling & traditional arts?

I was told stories by my Swiss mum in London and my mum and dad always took us to traditional dance performances. Living song traditions in Norway where I have been living and working as a storyteller since 1997 also inspire me. All my three kids are storytelling now.

Torgeir Vassvik is a joiker in the show. He comes from the far North in Norway and represents some of the most powerful in that tradition from Norway today. Dr Martin Lee Mueller is the philosopher in the performance and he thinks traditional stories are essential to preserve biodiversity.

Which other storytellers or acts influence you?

Duncan Williamson and Betsy Whyte were a big inspiration for me since the early 1980s. I’m also a fan of Hugh Lupton, who is helping us with Salmon Fairytales. As leader of the Storytelling Festival in Oslo, I am lucky to experience many wonderful tellers.

Have you performed at TradFest before? Are there any other acts on the programme you’d recommend seeing?

No, but we are super excited to be there!

What does Tradition mean to you?

That we are listening to our ancestors. That we are ensuring that their wisdom is continued to the new generations. That we fill the tradition with life and meaning.

Salmon Fairytale is on Sat 29 Apr, 4pm

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