It’s not long until the little ones can cuddle up and get cosy every Friday for Bedtime Tales with Danyah Miller.  Danyah is a solo performer, storyteller trainer and writer. She has starred in five shows with Wizard Presents that have toured across the UK, including to The Edinburgh Fringe and London’s West End.

Together with John Miller, Danyah set-up Wizard Presents and now acts as Artistic Director. Wizard Presents specialise in solo shows full of family fun. I caught up with Danyah to have a chat about her Yorkshire Festival of Story Bedtime Tales series.

Q. Your series of Bedtime Tales is inspired by your Yorkshire childhood! What is it about Yorkshire that inspires you?

Both my parents were born and raised in Yorkshire and have lived there all their lives, most of my cousins and extended family are scattered across the county. I was at school and college in Yorkshire so I have a strong connection of being at home on the land, of knowing it in my bones! I know it’s a cliche but I really like how friendly (most) people are, I love that people chat to each other and say hello as they walk down the street, stand in a queue at the bus stop or in a shop. I love the rugged landscape of the moors and dales and the wild aspects of the open land. I love the accent although for the most part mine has gone underground, although not intentionally. I’m proud to be a Yorkshire woman and fiercely loyal to the county, particularly to York, where I was born!

Q. How do you feel about delivering the stories through video? What benefits are there to this mode of delivery?

I find it disconcerting not to have an audience with whom to share these stories. I believe that storytelling is a magical triangle between story, teller and listener and it’s in the middle of this triangle that the alchemy occurs… so with one of these key ingredients missing it is a different experience for both teller and listener I think. Almost as soon as lockdown occurred I was approached by a number of people to create on-line story content so I’m getting more practiced at it, however nothing beats the buzz of a live audience. The benefits are that I can share stories with people across the globe and that they can watch and listen in their own time. I’ve had some lovely comments and feedback about my on-line work, families who have snuggled up to watch a story over and over again!

Q. Wizard Presents does so much exciting and vibrant work for children. What motivated you to start the theatre company?

I have always been passionate about theatre and was delighted to study drama, dance and English at Bretton Hall College (part of Leeds University). When I left college I headed for London – knowing that the streets were paved with gold! – and took a job as an usher at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. I found myself in the administration, marketing and management sector of the business but was always trying to get closer to ’the art’. Eventually after a number of twists and turns I met my business partner (who would later also become my husband) and we created a theatre company together in order for us to produce the work we created ourselves. He was a music producer, writer and director (he sadly died 2 years ago) amongst other things he was the music producer for Blood Brothers. I re-trained at Lecoq and subsequent to this my creativity has been expressed through writing and storytelling (including story training as I was a course leader at International School of Storytelling for over 10 years). Our company has produced shows for all ages, focusing on musicals and solo theatrical storytelling productions for all the family, and has been nominated for two Olivier awards. I’m now beginning to focus more on writing which is an exciting new twist!

Q. What excites you most about the future for Wizard Presents? What have your audiences got to look forward to?

I’m currently working on an adaptation of The Secret Garden which was originally serialised in an adult magazine. I’m really interested in how this story is multi-generational and is as relevant now as it was when it was first written – in fact particularly since C-19, as it opens with the outbreak of cholera which has killed both Mary’s parents and left her orphaned. It may be that we create an on-line version of the story if isn’t not possible to take it out on tour.

I’ll be back out on tour with ‘Meet Pippi Longstocking – a storytelling performance’ throughout 2021 – this show opened at Southbank Centre in February this year and we were disappointed not to be able to continue the tour.

We have lots planned so do follow us on facebook or instagram to hear our news! @wizardpresents

Q. Besides helping children doze off to sleep, what do you think are the real life benefits of sharing stories? Do you think humans will tell stories forever?

Yes, I believe firmly that we’re all storytelling beings – it’s a large part of what makes us human. We share stories all the time, whether it’s in a text or when we gather together with friends and family, adverts tell a story, TV programmes or video games, politicians spinning a yarn, scientists making sense of the world, artists painting, dancing, singing… everything comes back to story. If we aren’t given a story we make one up for ourselves. I believe that we make sense of the world and our place in it through story, it helps us to understand the past and to navigate our way to the future. Stories are beneficial in so many ways not least that they teach us to value ourselves, respect others and care for the world. They can inspire us to achieve more than we believed was possible. In education stories bring facts to life, underpin literacy skills including fluency, vocabulary, writing and recall.

Q. Finally, from one story lover to another, we have to ask: What story did you first fall in love with?

Oh this is such a difficult question! Can I give you two answers!! As a child I loved both ‘Rumplestiltskin’ and ‘Princess Reedcap’ the latter of which I later discovered is the story of King Lear which I studied at A level and was one of my favourite Shakespeare plays!

Be sure to tune into Bedtime Tales with Danyah Miller every Friday throughout Yorkshire Festival of Story! Click here for more details.