By Andrew Clarke

Published at 15:44, Wednesday, 31 March 2010

TWO of Cumbria’s best-loved performers are to call in at Drigg as part of a six-date odyssey through West Cumbria bringing to life the traditional tales and tastes of the region.

Taffy Thomas from Grasmere, recently appointed as national Storyteller Laureate, will be joining forces with Cumbria’s own celebrity chef John Crouch to present a show entitled Three Golden Apples at Drigg Village Hall on Saturday, April 24.

Taffy Thomas, MBE, began a career as a street theatre performer, founding rural art company Charivari before a stroke forced him to give up juggling and take up storytelling.

With a huge repertoire of over 300 stories, he regularly appears at storytelling festivals throughout the English-speaking world, and frequently works with schools and young people.

It was on a Young Roots Heritage Project in 2008 that he first teamed up with John Crouch, to combine storytelling with cookery. John is a regular on BBC Radio Cumbria and frequently demonstrates cooking with Cumbrian ingredients for Made in Cumbria and the Cumbria Tourist Board.

The new show has been specially commissioned by Arts Out West, the rural touring scheme that receives support from Copeland Borough Council, Cumbria County Council and the Arts Council.

The show will include tall tales, cookery demonstrations and tastings. It starts at 7.30pm. Ticket cost is around £6, (£3.50 for children) and can be booked in advance by contacting Sue Allain on 019467 24220

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk