Programmes
A Christmas Carol ( 90 minutes)
Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, an annual favorite that Ashley has performed on five continents, playing all 23 characters “…the animated breadth and flair of a whole cast “ Santa Cruz Sentinel
Voice of the Heart: Poetry and Stories of Jelaluddin Rumi
(as long as you like!)
Though rooted in 13th Century Islamic culture, Rumi’s universality of spirit transcends creeds, lands, and even time, and is a profound voice of inspiration to our true humanity. His passionate, wise, and beautiful words still have a remarkable ability to touch contemporary audiences - firing the imagination and nourishing the heart. Ashley often performs with local musicians.
The Titanic ( 90 minutes)
The story of the Titanic is still one of the most chilling metaphors for our time. Despite calm seas and repeated warnings of icebergs in her path this "ship of ships" sailed full steam ahead to her doom. Every day the news is full of the same story. We know that we are devastating our environment, we know that we have to live differently if we are to survive and yet what difference can any of us make against such odds? On board the Titanic, if one person had grasped the inevitable consequences of what lay ahead, the whole disaster could have been diverted.....are we still in the same boat?
The Man Who Planted Hope (25 minutes)
Often performed by Ashley as the second part of an evening alongside The Titanic, this 20th century parable portrays how the work of one man can transform a barren wasteland into a life-giving “green” environment for generations to come.
Tistou of the Green Thurmbs (70 minutes)
A French classic of genius from the pen of Maurice Druon, with themes ranging from the arms trade to our care of the environment. Tistou’s name deserves to be on the lips of anyone who cares about the future of the Earth.
The Hilarious Adventures of the Hodja Nasruddin (three evenings 120 minutes each, which can be told as single performances or in a series)
Hodja Nasruddin is the great holy man, fool, trickster figure in the Middle East. Much loved by Sufis and other seekers of wisdom, learn of his origins and how he came to be the hero of his people.
The Further Adventures of the Hodja Nasruddin
Part One, (120 minutes)
Nasruddin’s outrageously heroic exploits in cahoots with the Thief of Baghdad
Part Two (120 minutes)
How the Hodja, with the help of his ever-faithful ass, rescues a community from the clutches of a tyrannical bully.
The Childs Christmas in Wales (30 minutes)
Dylan Thomas’ holiday classic, full of colorful Welsh characters, snowballs and harp-shaped hills.
Diary of a Farmer's Wife (90 minutes)
Down-to earth life in rural England at the turn of the Eighteenth Century.
The Yorkshire Bible Stories
The stories of Jonah, Abraham and Isaac, Samson and Delilah, and any other Biblical favourites that you wish to hear in broad Yorkshire dialect.
“If I had heard the stories told like this when I was a child, I’d have gulped them down like puddin” Frank P.
The Temple Legend and other stories of King Solomon (70 minutes)
Am I my brother’s keeper? The hidden story behind the disagreement between Cain and Abel and how even the gods in the very beginning could not agree on the destiny of the human race.