Spark is the place to tell your true story.
There are only three rules at Spark:
For up-to-date info on future events, look for Spark True Stories on Facebook, on Instagram @sparktruestories, on Twitter @sparktruestory or email us at sparktruestories@gmail.com
Themes are announced ahead of each event. If there’s a story you want to tell that doesn’t fit a theme, please contact us – we love theme suggestions!
Many people come along to Spark, watch a couple of stories to see how it’s done, then dive straight in and tell their story. That’s great! It’s also okay to ask for advice – do contact us and we’d be happy to help you tell your story.
Each night is themed. Our host will introduce the theme, then invite audience members to come on stage. We usually have three acts of three or four stories each. After the show, there’s time to chat to the storytellers and other members of the audience.
Just turn up! When you arrive, speak to the host and they’ll write your name down for a slot. Or you can sign up in the interval – although slots disappear fast on busy nights.
A great story involves a transition of some kind. By the end of the story the main character – that’s you – has revealed something that was unknown at the start.
Think about what triggers a transition. That’s where the drama comes in – the unexpected event that puts you to the test, turns the heat up or demands that you make a change. It could be the day you got stuck in a lift, lost your passport, bagged your dream job or discovered your partner was having an affair.
Examples:
I started the year with everything you could expect from a successful middle class life.
At six months old, a pigeon pooed in my eye.
I ran away from home at the age of 12 and never lived with my parents again.
Examples:
I should have eaten his bloody birthday cake myself.
These days, I’m happy living alone. But I never use the gas hob when drunk anymore.
Like this: “He looked straight at me and his face went from pink to red to crimson.”
Instead of like this: “I could tell he was really angry.”
We asked some of our storytellers to tell us what they’ve got out of sharing their stories:
“I realised you don’t have to be trained in performance to be riveting when standing alone on a stage. All you need is a story.”
“The theme of the night inspired me to find my stories. That is one of the big gifts Spark London has given me.”
“Telling my story at Spark London was a revelation. Direct communication with the audience, continuing afterwards in the bar and on email; the way people relate their own experiences directly to yours (‘I went there!’; ‘I had a boyfriend who did that’), a tangible sense of getting your voice back, in more ways than one.”
“The rehearsal before the performance brought out some new angles to my story. My story improved under Joanna’s guidance.”
It’s natural to be nervous, but our audiences are friendly and no one will be judging or scoring your story.
Stories are about overcoming challenges. This is just another one you can overcome.
You almost certainly do.
Some stories will be defined by time and place, for example the romantic gesture that went wrong 10 years ago when you lived in Brazil. Others could span decades. Here are some questions to get you thinking about what your stories are:
We also run storytelling workshops to help you find your stories and develop them further.