Story Storks

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Story Storks Early Years Theatre Company delivering interactive Theatre Shows and Storytelling Workshops with the Children who read for pleasure tend to do better at school.

Our aim at Story Storks is that every baby, toddler and child who comes through our workshops goes on to become a child who reads for pleasure. We’ve used the magic of storytelling and the science behind phonological awareness techniques to create workshops which both develop children’s language skills and nurture a love of stories. With workshops tailored to each individual age group we don't just tell the story - with a little help from the performing arts we live it! Children are absorbed into a magical whirlwind of stories and characters all the while accumulating the fundamental skills they’ll need for reading. PIXIES & SPRITES (for babies from 12 weeks!)
A magical introduction to stories, babies experience a traditional tale specially written to amplify the rhythm of language (it’s the first thing they learn!) and to develop phonological awareness. It’s interspersed with lots of exercises to help them develop including music, movement and sensory and results in children who are able to sit and listen to stories – and want to! (30 mins)

FAIRIES & ELVES (from crawling to 2yrs)
Now up and flying about, these children are taken through the story by the characters within it. Fast moving and interspersed with lots of fun activities these children get the chance to develop role play and character skills as well as continuing to build on their phonological awareness. (30 mins)

MERMAIDS & PIRATES (From 2 to 3 ish!)
We introduce traditional narrative alongside some of our more colourful characters and invite the children to tell the story with us. And they do! Now starting to really re-enforce the structure of traditional stories we work to immerse the children within the story and encourage them to use their language skills, especially on traditional phrases. ‘Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in……..!’ (40 mins)


KNIGHTS & PRINCESSES (For children who turn 4 in the nursery year!)
LAUNCHING 2015
At this stage we introduce phonics. Designed to work alongside the phonics that children are learning in pre-school, we use traditional tales to bring these sounds to life. Phonics are the code that children go on to use when they learn to read so it’s important to get the sounds right – so much so that for the last 10 minutes the parents are encouraged to join us and learn the sound too! A 1 hour long drop off session, these workshops will have your little ones fighting dragons, rescuing princesses and climbing beanstalks! PRE-SCHOOLS & SCHOOLS - We also go in to schools as Story Storks fits well with the EYFS, in particular the Communication, Literacy and Physical Development objectives. We come to you with everything we need and deliver the story to a class at a time. For more details please see the website. The first workshop is a free trial. If you decide to sign up then current workshops are £7 each payable on a half termly basis.

Last week, I was storytelling in the carpark outside Surbiton Station on a postage stamp of a stage with a mic on a stan...
10/10/2026

Last week, I was storytelling in the carpark outside Surbiton Station on a postage stamp of a stage with a mic on a stand. I'd thrown together a grown-up version of Dick Whittington. Storytelling for adults is a big thing if you know where to look, and I've been interested in it for some time. My version of Dick Whittington included more history which, quite frankly, would have been lost on little ones, and less songs that involved actions. There was still one song that involved actions - I couldn't resist, and I'm grateful to the stallholders who did those actions upon request!!

Afterwards, one of the organisers came over a hugged me! He genuinely enthused about the performance, but what really got me was when he said, "I love learning history like this, through stories. It makes it so great to learn."

I've believed that for a while, but I think the blend of fairy tales and local history works brilliantly because the little ones get everything they need from the story, but the grown-ups get something too. And that's what the Christmas Troll delivers - Christmas Magic in spades for little ones and Grown-ups, but a little bit extra for grown-ups to help them fall in the love with the place they live - just like I have!

This show is on at FUSEBOX which is a gorgeous space under John Lewis, and the story, an original one, was inspired by the ruins of the bridge that are housed in there. Christmas Magic in the heart of local history. What more could you wish for!

CHRISTMAS SHOW FOR KIDS 2YRS AND UPSuper excited to be back at FUSEBOX this Christmas with a brand-new show, The Christm...
04/10/2026

CHRISTMAS SHOW FOR KIDS 2YRS AND UP

Super excited to be back at FUSEBOX this Christmas with a brand-new show, The Christmas Troll. It's super cute!!!

If you're looking for some Christmas Theatre for little ones, then look no further. We got you covered!!

See the FUSEBOX website for more details.

There's a demented wolf about to tell the story of the three little pigs at Surbiton station! Starting soon. I'm also ...
10/09/2026

There's a demented wolf about to tell the story of the three little pigs at Surbiton station! Starting soon. I'm also here same time.next week!!

Might need to update my Mandy profile.given that the 8 year old will be starting driving lessons in October!
29/08/2026

Might need to update my Mandy profile.given that the 8 year old will be starting driving lessons in October!

Remember the blog? Oh such fun capturung the stories of being a mum. My super serious research project has already tur...
27/08/2026

Remember the blog? Oh such fun capturung the stories of being a mum. My super serious research project has already turned so farcical that this post reminds me of those blogging days, so I'm popping this one on here!

Enjoy!

A perfect example of why writers with deadlines shouldn’t ask questions!

13/08/2026

Story Storks HQ had a makeover!

For those of you who read the story (even if you only read the first bit), this post tells the very much shorter version...
13/08/2026

For those of you who read the story (even if you only read the first bit), this post tells the very much shorter version from Dr Karl O. Wagner, who is my new hero. He knew a good yarn when he heard it!

I've done a brief comparison too, so you can see what is from the folklore and the original material that I have created. I'm a bit obsessed - you're going to be hearing a lot about this project.

Probably should mention at some point that I'm doing a brand new Christmas Show called The Christmas Troll at FUSEBOX as well, but for now, it's all about the grown-ups!

STORY #1 - DER SINGENDE KNAPPE UND DER BERGGEIST (The Singing Miner and the Mountain Spirit)

09/08/2026

I have been fortunate to be the Chair of the Friends of Kingston Music Service for a few years now, and I'm really proud of what we've achieved. The charity offers hardship bursaries to families who might need to leave Kingston Music Service due to temporary hardship. We've helped in a whole range of situations, including divorce, job loss and parent illness. We've also launched a second fund called The Searby Fund for short, which is helping to get more kids playing Brass instruments.

I've learned so much in running this charity. I can't recommend enough taking on a voluntary role in the community. I've been able to take the learnings from FKMS and apply them to Story Storks.

It is with sadness that I now find I have too many other commitments, and something has to go. Given that it would be frowned upon for me to put my kids in the bin, I'm stepping aside as Chair, so we're looking for a new one! There will be a transition period, so the new person will come in as Vice Chair, and then I'll disappear into the sunset once they're up and running.

Have a look at the ad. If this sounds like it might be for you, drop me a line, and we can have a chat.

https://fkms.org.uk/support/recruitment/

I've published my first story on Substack. It's in English, with some German words every now and then. I'd love for yo...
06/08/2026

I've published my first story on Substack. It's in English, with some German words every now and then. I'd love for you to read it. It's for grown-ups. Maybe Story Storks for grown-ups is coming true after all!

This marks the first story in a project that I've embarked on, which will no doubt take years, telling the old stories from the Bad Gastein valley in Austria in a Sarah way. I'm feeling quite inspired by this all, and would love to have some readers along the way.

The easiest way to get the stories is to sign up to Substack (for free) and then subscribe (for free) to my account, The Storyteller and the Mountain. Then, when I publish, you'll get the story straight to your inbox, so you won't need to be on yet another social media type thing.

Please feel free to share it far and wide with anyone you think might be interested.

https://thestorytellerandthemountain.substack.com/p/1-der-singende-knappe-und-der-berggeist

My version, dedicated to Z**i and Andy on the occasion of their wedding on the 23rd July 2026, where this story was first read

Address

Surbiton

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

07758 449196

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