About the Company
A Spell In Time brings Bulgaria’s extraordinary traditional tales to modern English-speaking audiences for the first time. The Company was formed in 1995 by storyteller, Moni Sheehan, who is half Bulgarian and musician, Ivor Davies, to bring these different worlds together. With a mix of traditional storytelling, fascinating folklore and evocative music, the Company has gained acclaim in the UK and abroad for its passionate and poetic performances.
​
Bulgaria's traditional tales have ancient origins and are largely unknown in the West. Magical, exciting, deliciously dark and humorous in turn, they conjure the intense world of dream and a mythic age of long ago when anything was possible. Beautifully atmospheric and profoundly entertaining, they cross the boundaries of space and time to speak to the heart, mind and soul.
​
A Spell In Time’s performances are based on authentic Bulgarian heroic epics, mythological ballads, ritual songs, legends, folk and fairy tales translated by mother and daughter team, Paraskeva Armstrong and Moni Sheehan.
​
The Company has created a variety of shows in the Tales of Hidden Bulgaria series, and devised many other projects for specific circumstances. They have collaborated regularly with the 40-strong London Bulgarian Choir. Highlights include a specially-created performance for the extraordinary Brunel Thames Tunnel Shaft in London.
​
The Company has performed in a wide range of venues from theatres and arts centres to festivals and storytelling clubs, including Beyond The Border Wales International Storytelling Festival, the Bulgarian Cultural Institute London, St John's Smith Square and the Guadalajara International Storytelling Festival, Spain. It has also featured on the BBC World Service, Bulgarian National Radio, Sunday Folk (BBC Radio Shropshire), and Resonance fm.
At a time of increasing interest in Eastern Europe, A Spell In Time presents an exciting distillation of Bulgarian traditional culture that offers an alternative insight into shared human experiences. The Company welcomes new initiatives and collaborations, and enjoys exploring new ways of presenting traditional culture in our modern world.
In conjunction with performance, the Company offers talks and workshops in related skills, including storytelling Bulgarian tales.
​
“Ancient tales from the heart of Bulgarian myth and folklore...
A spellbinding mix of traditional storytelling, fascinating folklore and evocative music”