Theatres/Companies/Institutions
Interesting Collaborators
Central Saint Martins
Guest Lecturer for the MA in Animation Students 2014 – present. Assisting students in developing the narrative arc and creative strength of their ideas
Crick Crack Club
Crick Crack Club hosts storytelling events around London and the UK including Soho Theatre London, Rich MIx Theatre London, Cube Microplex Bristol. They also run events such as the Day of the Dead and the Fabularium.
Royal Shakespeare Company
Guest storyteller, Guest speaker, invited researcher, workshop leader at the RSC 2014- present
NT TheatreWorks
I am a trainer with TheatreWorks. This involves giving workshops on communication and speaking skills via theatre and storytelling techniques. TheatreWorks works with the corporate and charity sectors.
Conference on World Affairs
I have been an invited panelist to the Conference on World Affairs 2011-2014. This week long celebration of the art of conversation and community is an astonishing celebration of the human spirit.
The Drive Project
Storytelling Trainer and consultant with The Drive Project. The Drive Project is an award-winning creative social enterprise. They work alongside charities and businesses to inspire and empower people with creative projects, training and talks.
National Theatre
Performer of solo shows at Watch This Space Festival. Associate with NT Learning Dept. Story consultant and trainer for Early Years Project.
Dowtcha Puppets
Dramaturg and Story Consultant for Dowtcha Puppet Company, Cork, Ireland.
Clare is a storyteller. She travels the world and tells stories. From mainstages of theatres to medieval roundtowers Clare has told tales for all ages in more than 20 countries. Her work includes the political folkloric work such as her Syrian piece “The King of Lies” to playful pieces like UniVerse which explores where quantum physics, philosophy and mythology meet. She performs in English. She occasionally performs in Spanish when asked. Clare’s wide repertoire of stories includes traditional folklore to ancient mythology, to reportage to historical tales. She tells the story that is called for in each situation; from telling to the President of Ireland to performing at the Writers room of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Clare also performs at festivals, art centres, universities, public and private events, conferences and schools. She teaches storytelling and trains people in communication skills via The National Theatre’s TheatreWorks programme. She is a storyteller, performer, writer, dramaturg, curiosist, teacher, consultant, wanderer, wonderer and maker. If your organisation/storytelling question is not listed here, just ask, she might be able to help...
One woman shows, bespoke performances, commissioned pieces, public events.
Storytelling workshops for artists, performers, professors, guest lecturing on storytelling, creativity & more
For Theatre companies, writers groups, university departments, companies, charities and individuals
Available for keynote speaking, panel discussions, conferences, symposiums and debates
UniVerse
A mathematician finds a gift from a god Blacksmiths beat out the music of the spheres And why are there turtles everywhere? Where does myth meet science? Is it only in the middle of the night when we half wake and half sleep? In this timeless place of wonder and insight, time stretches and a fissure opens that builds a dream bridge between many worlds… Performance storyteller Clare Murphy dances into this liminal space; merging myth, deities, science and a hefty amount of turtle, in a playful exploration of the beginnings of the universe.
KING OF LIES
In this one hour solo storytelling performance, Clare Muireann Murphy blends reportage and folklore to tell a story on the power of lying. A king pits his wits against a fool, a lying competition lures in storytellers from around the world, and one poor hungry man tells enough lies in the hopes of saving his skin and that of his people. The King of Lies is an adaptation of the novel Damascus Nights by exiled Syrian writer Rafik Schami. This witty play on words evokes a beautiful country held at the mercy of a lie-obsessed king.
The Remarkable Tale of Robert Desnos with Daniel Morden
Held captive in a concentration camp, prisoners tell fantastical tales to lift their spirits. Their clandestine gatherings allow them to briefly forget their terrible situation. But surely their fate is unavoidable… The Remarkable Tale of Robert Desnos is funny, tragic, uplifting and incredibly moving. Shifting between the awful reality of the camp, and the beauty and richness of countless other worlds, this weaving together of finely crafted traditional stories demonstrates the power of the imagination to shape and change reality.
Inisfáil; island of destiny
When the ancient Irish gods stepped onto the soil of Ireland, they burned their boats so they could never leave…Clare Muireann Murphy invites us into a beautiful yet bloodstained landscape where gods in golden halls drink from the cow of plenty, Kings are healed by children, fathers vie with sons and lusty monsters spit in the face of the prophets. This contemporary performance of the Irish myths of invasion is tautly laced with wit and verve.
BESPOKE TALES
Clare can choose from her repertoire of tales to tell stories suitable for your festival/event. Clare’s stories include myths, legends, love stories, creation stories, wisdom tales, comedic tales, heroine stories, lgbqt stories, peace stories and so on.
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what happens on the road
There is something very comforting about the road. There is an acceptance that there is only so much I can control. So I let go. I surrender to train schedules, traffic, the full emptiness of airports, and random conversations. It can be hard going but I love what the road gives me. There is a Read more about what happens on the road[…]
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going wild, storytelling workshop in Ireland this weekend
One of the joys of this job is the variety. Some weeks I am teaching at a university like Central Saint Martins, other weeks I am performing in a castle like Alden Biesen. It keeps me on my toes. This coming weekend I have the absolute joy of returning to my homeland to work with Read more about going wild, storytelling workshop in Ireland this weekend[…]
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It’s day 7 of a week of shows at Alden Biesen. i’m about to do my 13th performance. i’m in a castle in Belgium storytelling for adults. i’m on again in an hour, but before i go perform, i would like to share something that just happened. i have just finished telling stories to young Read more about How do you live a life without shame?[…]
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A sane person to an insane society must appear insane – Vonnegut. It was 1998 something radical happened that changed my world forever. I asked a friend if she was going to the latest movie. She said: “Is that the one about the serial killer?” “Yes”, I said. She replied: “Oh no, I’m not going Read more about THE INNER LANDSCAPE[…]
waiting on my soul to catch up
Once there was a man who was traveling through the jungle in Africa, with a team of local men that he had hired to carry his purchases from local markets back to the boat. It was a few days walk, and the man was keen to catch the boat. He urged the men to move Read more about waiting on my soul to catch up[…]
GOING ON THE ROAD Tour 2016 USA
Tomorrow. Tomorrow I board a plane and head west, into a wild six week rollercoaster of gigs. Self organised and much anticipated; the joy of delving deep into the work uninterrupted will be a total pleasure. Here’s the basic itinerary (though all gigs are listed in detail on website calender and FB events page): Sept Read more about GOING ON THE ROAD Tour 2016 USA[…]
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(This was written in 2013 during my winter residency at CCWOC, University of Winnipeg. I repost it now to get me restarted on blogging, and because, surprise surprise it is still relevant!) The Questions of a Fool At the beginning of this residency I said I would sit in the cold dark of winter Read more about The questions of a fool[…]
Ten Years (2006-2016) A Storyteller
In January 2016 I reached my decade anniversary as a storyteller. Ten years as an artist. There is something about turning that corner, turning to face into a new decade that gives me some strength and belief that I can do this, and perhaps continue to do this work for the rest of my life. Read more about Ten Years (2006-2016) A Storyteller[…]