Spark - True Stories Live

We made it! This is our 100th edition of the podcast - which coincides with a year of open-mic events at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton. So as a double celebration, here's a double bill from our most recent night. Thank you for listening to our stories over the past three years. We hope to keep entertaining you for another hundred... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jo told this story at our open-mic night in Brixton. When she moves in with her Gran in London as a teenager, she has to cope with her pet chihuahua's bathroom habits.... Apologies for the audio fault right at the start of the story - a glitch meant we had to rely on our EMERGENCY BACK-UP SYSTEM. Yes - we have one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Late last month we had another successful night at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, where ordinary folks stepped up and told stories of 'Pets.' This is one such story, by Sophie. If you're interested in telling a story, please do get in touch: info@sparklondon.com . Oh, and we're doing something at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year. Just thought you might like to know that. More details soon......

This week we welcome back Andy Bodle with open arms, with his true story on the theme, Back From The Brink. We have some great events coming up on the themes of 'Winning', 'Life Savers' and 'Family Holidays'. Think you have something that fits? Email us at sparklondon@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eddie has set his sights on being Salesman of the Month - and has the new contract to prove it. All he has to do is get it to the office... From April 2012, where the theme was 'Back from the Brink.' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tori was only in the UK for a couple of weeks on vacation, and still found time to drop in to the Canal Cafe and tell this story. Recorded in March 2012, when the theme was 'Change.'  We've two Spark London events in April; in Little Venice the theme is 'Back from the Brink' and in Brixton it's 'Pets'. We'll have the best stories to share with you here, so stay subscribed... and spread the word! F...

When he was young, Ben moves with his parents from Britain to the Caribbean. As with anyone moving to a new school, it's tough to fit in. But then Ben has an interesting idea... From March 2012 at the Canal Cafe Theatre, where the theme was 'Change.' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David is going backpacking and his dad offers him a lift to the station. Will this be the moment for a genuine heart-to-heart? And will David be able to cope? From March 2012, when the theme was 'Change'. Got the storytelling bug? We're running a workshop on the 17th March at the Canal Cafe Theatre - check out our website for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Life is, they say, a series of lessons - some of which, when Max's dad are involved, are crueler than others. Max tells us how he came to turn the tables. From February 2012, when the theme was 'The Unexpected.' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie is something to Spark royalty here at Spark London; she performed more than any other storyteller, each time with something new from a long and adventurous life. And she shows no signs of stopping: this month she won silver for Best Comedy Newcomer at the Silver Comedy Festival 2012. This is another of her finest, from April 2010, when the theme was 'Home.' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

Deborah's story has a twist to it - and one that threatens her dream of competing in the Olympics. Warning: this ep ontains some strong language at a rather loud volume. Probably not ideal for the school run, which is why we've decided to put it out at half term... You're welcome. If you have a story, please do get in touch. We're celebrating one year at the Brixton Ritzy next week (20th Feb) and...

We're back - and with some more fresh-faced true storytellers for you to enjoy. When David was young, he was taken to a party hosted by Richard Branson. That should be the story. It isn't. From February 2012, where the theme was 'The Unexpected.' Our theme music, incidentally*, is by Dan Weltman, a wonderful composer who you should really have a listen to. Find out more at his website: danielweltm...

Continuing our special season of favourite storytellers, Gigi Hanna returns to the pod with another story. Curious as to how her parents met, Gigi investigates her Egyptian roots and discovers just how close she came to being an entirely different person... From October 2010, when the theme was Saints and Sinners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Locked out of the house by his wife, Radcliffe falls into a world of drugs and crime that betrays his education, reaching rock bottom in this remarkable true story from our archives. We recorded this story live in June 2010 during our residency at the Blue Elephant Theatre, who we send our humble thanks. Hey - in other news, did you see we're one of the most listened-to podcasts on Mixcloud , for...

Handpicked by the Spark London team, this is another of our favourite storytellers from over the years. Jacqueline is in love with a guy and there's only one problem; he's a student and she's a member of the college staff. From June 2010 and our week-long season at the Blue Elephant Theatre in Camberwell. The theme of the night was 'Animal Magnetism'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

Happy new year! David Dinnell goes scuba diving off the coast of Sicily, and gets into troubled waters. This month we're bringing you new stories from our favourite storytellers, some of whom have appeared on the podcast before. If you've enjoyed this story, why not try 'David and the Cow' from back in 2009? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie told this story at our open-mic night in Brixton. It should be a night of passion for her and her new boyfriend - but will it be ruined by over-caring friends? From November 2011, where the theme was 'Fireworks.' Thanks to everyone who came and raised money for our special NOVA night last Monday. If you want to find out what happened - and maybe make a donation - you can do all this and mor...

Sharon tells this story of her transition from child to adult... to adult lesbian. From November 2011, where the theme was 'Transitions.' Next Monday (5th Dec) we're celebrating our fourth birthday at the Canal Cafe, with stories of 'New Beginnings'. Not bad eh? As usual, we'll be raising cash for charity: this year we're supporting NOVA, a great team who train the long-term unemployed in North Ke...

What makes a good dentist? Emily ponders this question for us and provides some answers based on her own experiences, growing up in Canada. Thanks to Dave Pickering for looking after the pod for the past few weeks - you can catch his excellent podcast at gettingbetteracquainted.com . Go on. Click it now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen stood up and told this story about how stealing Jamie Olivers picnic basket resulted in an almost brief encounter at the Spark Open Mic at The Ritzy Cinema in Brixton. The story was told in October 2011, when the theme was 'Fatal Attraction'. Be sure to book your tickets for the next Spark London at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 5th December. It's a very special version of Spark London. We're ra...

Michael stood up and told this story about the ending of a "special" relationship at the Spark Open Mic at The Ritzy Cinema in Brixton. His story is full of high drama, farce and rivalry which he narrates in his wry, laid back way.  The story was told in October 2011, when the theme was 'Fatal Attraction'. Be sure to book your tickets for the next Spark London at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 5th Dece...

David stood up and told this story about a night when his girlfriend just wouldn't wake up, no matter what happened! From October 2011, when the theme was 'Fatal Attraction'. Be sure to book your tickets for the next Spark London at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 7th November. Head to sparklondon.com/events for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline got up and told this story about a relationship that got stuck in a loop and how travelling to Honduras helped to break out of it at the open mic in Brixton. From October 2011, when the theme was 'Fatal Attraction'. Be sure to book your tickets for the next Spark London at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 7th November. Head to sparklondon.com/events for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

Sara tells the story of when she gave up everything in to become a dairy farmer in India and the epic saga of trying to transport a heard of cows accross its vast continent. From October 2011, when the theme was 'The Kindness of Strangers.' Be sure to book your tickets for the next Spark London at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 7th November. Head to sparklondon.com/events for more details. Hosted on Ac...

Paula talks about how the kindness of the Vietnamese helped her to find a new hope. From October 2011, when the theme was 'The Kindness of Strangers.' Be sure to book your tickets for the next Spark London at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 7th November. Head to sparklondon.com/events for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.