Janina Vigurs Storytelling

30/05/2025

I'm really sorry but I have had to pull out of the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival this year.

The reasons are personal but please know I haven't made this decision lightly, tickets will be refunded asap. My enormous thanks to who have supported me in the run up.

Rik was a monumental influence on me and I know the l will be nothing short of a gargantuan, roaring success. Woof!

16/05/2025

Join professional storyteller Janina Vigurs, some hat-stealing monkeys and fox-fighting chickens for an hour of ridiculous stories where animals behave in ways no very good child would dream of, right? Afterwards we'll crack open the dressing up box, crank up the tunes and create our own joyful chaos.

Sunday 1st June, The Craft Café, Droitwich, 10:30am and 2:00pm Suitable for 3-11 years. Tickets in the bio.

Janina would sit far too close to the telly as a child when Rik Mayall's Grim Tales was on. She did indeed get square eyes but also a head jam-packed with fairy tales. He told with a grit, gusto and grotesquery that quite simply hooked her like a trout.

So far she's told stories for The National Trust, Penguin Random House, Cambridge Folk Festival, Exeter University and Glastonbury.

Today Rik sits in the pocket of Janina's memory, poking her in the ribs, telling her to treat kids as her equal and be more ridiculous than needed.

07/05/2025

Anything can happen when I'm storytelling and I'm pretty good at rolling with it, but today we had a whole school, full scale evacuation and fire engines...

It wasn't a drill. Thankfully it was just an overly sensitive detector that sent nearly 300 children onto the school field and we were allowed back in after an impromptu playtime.

Standing out like woman with a pigeon on her head, I attracted a lot of curiosity on the playground, so I sat and answered many questions about what I was wearing and why I was here. It finished with ten children from across the year groups and I, improvising a story about a Queen and Princess who lived in a "normal people's" house. Absolutely priceless. Who knows what their parents will think when they go home tonight!

After the excitement, all 90 reception children helped me tell Gruffalo-adjacent stories and discuss the nature of storytelling afterwards. One boy asked if our imaginations stop when we sleep, which made my heart so incredibly happy and gave fuel to some phenomenal chat.
Excellent work RA Butler Infants, and excellent provision from the staff.

20/04/2025

Happy Easter! I hope you have a wonderful day.
It's a great time to get outside, find signs of spring.

Know that despite whatever is happening in your world, life is always changing but there's always joy happening somewhere.

Smiles,
Janina x

23/03/2025

I had a gloriously rich afternoon telling The Nine Crying Dolls at

I hadn't told it for ten years, and this was an audience of adults, not children, but we all had a delicious time.

There is SUCH an appetite for storytelling in the little community Vanessa has created, and in such a brilliant venue it's easy to see why.

I also took Bonnie and her wonky eye with me. She wore her blue outfit and made some new friends, swipe to see them all vibing in a way only haunted dolls can in slide 5.

Ahhh, happy days!!

25/02/2025

Precious.

This sweet old lady was living on the streets until four months ago, she came to us to live out her years in the comfort and security that she deserved.

I'm so incredibly glad we were able to give that to her.

She decided that this morning she had some spiritual cat business to attend to, so left this plane, curled on her favourite chair and heated blanket.

In the last few weeks she needed a lot of care as I nursed the site of the increasing tumor that had already claimed her ear and voice. She took it so incredibly well, urgently reminding me about her post-treatment treats if I was slow in remembering.

The sweetest girl who asked for nothing but deserved everything.

We love you.

💖 Precious 💖

03/01/2025

If you have an interest in elves or little folk, this is so worth a watch.
The comment section is a wonderful array of people sharing their local fae/elf/hidden folk beliefs and customs.
Delightful.

31/12/2024

And roll credits on 2024....
Thank you if you've booked me, promoted me, recommended me, said nice things to your neighbour about me, taken a chance on me, shared a post written by me, trusted that your small person would be entertained by me, heck even come to MY FIRST SHOW ._.monger .

I want you to know you're all brilliant and have wonderful hair.

Here's to things continuing to evolve.

Xx

27/12/2024

New Year, new profile on my Society for Storytelling directory listing.

I'm really proud to be part of a community of people who, like me, have their heads full of whimsy and folklore.

You can check out my full profile in the link up there in my bio

Thanks to a fancy interactive map on the website, you find out if there's a teller lurking near you too.

24/12/2024

I'm a lucky sausage. A thousand, sparkling thank yous for supporting me and my ridiculous stories this year.

I've been so incredibly fortunate to have some wonderful gigs this year, and people behind the scenes gently shoving me to push my creativity. It's made me bolder and braver than I thought I could ever be.

I'm powering down for a little while for Christmas, I really hope you get the festivities you'd like this year, and if you don't I hope that it passes quietly with little incident.

I recommend all the Ws; woollens, walking and wolfing down whatever cabs make you happy.

Gentle Christmas thoughts to you.
Janina x

11/12/2024

I'm going to be storytelling at Touchpoint in Stansted Mountfitchet Friday morning.
If you're looking for a lovely thing to do with your little one, please come and join us for breakfast, stories and a little walk.
Best of all, all of it is entirely free 😁

✨Storytelling breakfast and a gentle walk✨
Families with young children: join us on Friday 13 December for a free breakfast and storytelling session with professional storyteller Janina Vigurs, followed by a gentle local walk.
There will also be a raffle - strips £1, cash only.
Meet at TouchPoint Stansted at 9.30am, all welcome 🙂