Ghostly Storytelling at The Cornwall Hotel
Scary Little Girls Theatre Company
Following their successful storytelling nights at the DuMaurier Festival the Scary Little Girls brought some Gothic drama to begin the Christmas festivities at The Cornwall. With a welcoming glass of seasonal mulled wine and tasty mince pies, the scene was set for a step into the unknown.
If proof were needed that people are tired of the tellybox, the show was sold out and the creepy tales were eagerly awaited. Storytellers, Rebecca Mordan and Jeni Hawkes, captivated the audience for almost 2 hours as they read from English classics by Charles Dickens and E. Nesbitt, rounding off the chills with a little known American tale from Mary E.W. Freeman. Rebecca and Jeni, both accomplished actresses, introduced their stories with warmth and humour, but the smiles were soon replaced with such spine tingling tales that the proverbial pin dropping would have broken the spell. The loud applause that greeted the ending of each dramatic tale proved that story telling, once a dying art, is enjoying a welcome revival.
As we left the hotel and walked out into the black December night, the surrounding trees loomed ominously and, as if on cue, from somewhere deep in the darkness an owl hooted.