Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
Hi, I’m Danyah Miller.
I’m a storyteller, writer, theatre producer and mum! I’ve worked in theatre in many different roles over the year but what I love most is being a solo performer, touring internationally with a range of family shows, including most recently ‘I Believe in Unicorns’ (which premiered at Edinburgh Fringe in 2013 before touring the UK, internationally and had two West End runs), ‘Why the Whales Came’ (national and international touring) both by Michael Morpurgo and ’Perfectly Imperfect Women - a biographical wonder tale’ which received a number of 5* reviews at Fringe last year.
As a storytelling trainer I work in children’s centres, schools and colleges across the country, teaching storytelling skills to adults and sharing stories with children. For the past ten years I have been a course leader at International School of Storytelling in East Sussex.
As a producer, for Wizard Presents, I co-produced two West End musicals, including Olivier nominated ‘Soul Sister : the life and times of Ike and Tina Turner’.
For 3 years I was a really enjoyed being a regular contributor on BBC Three Counties Radio, sharing a story once a month.
My degree is in drama, dance and English and I later trained at Lecoq in Paris.
Tell us about your show?
As the audience arrives I’m preparing a birthday cake for my daughter, Sofie, and I definitely need a little bit of help to remember what ingredients I need. As we chat I remember a story that I tell to Sofie every year on the eve of her birthday. It’s the story of a little French mouse, Kika, who’s going to be 5 years old. Her mouse family has planned a special birthday surprise, with friends, dancing and a grasshopper band. The story moves through the seasons, from winter when the mice have to dig deep into the earth to keep warm, through to their spring awakening and into Kika’s summer birthday.
But, gosh, the little mice are being carefully watched by that ‘Bright Orange Cat’. What plan does that Cat have? Does she want join the party or does she have something more sinister else in mind?
The show is an interactive story with puppetry, songs and games. It’s suitable for families with children age 4+. Maybe you’ll even get a mouse sized morsel of the cake that I bake, at the end of the show
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and is it different from other festivals?
I love the Edinburgh Fringe and have been coming to it, as both a participant and as a ‘punter’ since 1980’s. I’m inspired by many magical experiences, eclectic performances and inspiring conversations. The air is buzzing with excitement and creativity in all its forms.
Performing on the fringe allows me to perform to the widest range of people from all over the world. From previous experience on the fringe I know that further opportunities for the show often come from being in Edinburgh… I never know from one day to the next who will be in the audience and who I might meet.
I suppose the most obvious difference from other festivals is its size and scope, that it consumes the whole of the city for a month. It feels like the whole festival is really well organised, a well-oiled machine, but also there’s a sense of new ideas emerging all the time.
What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?
To be honest I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be ‘in the theatre’. No other member of my family worked in the industry so I don’t know what made me so certain and fixed at such a young age that I would be ‘on stage’. I loved performing in plays at school, telling stories and learning poetry and prose. I was taken to the theatre as a child and I felt a sense of belonging and not wanting to leave. When I particularly liked a show my tummy would do flips and I didn’t want to be in the audience, I wanted to be on stage. As I grew up I spent all my money on theatre tickets.
I remember seeing Geraldine Chaplin in Le Cirque Imaginaire, it was simultaneously ethereal and precise, I was transfixed having never seen anything like it before. I longed to be part of that world. In retrospect I would have loved to have been an acrobat but I knew nothing of this world or how to get into it when I was a child.
Do you ever feel any pressure to be a social commentator, or constantly update material to respond to events?
Actually,I don’t feel pressure to be a social commentator. However, I do feel passionately about creating high quality work which is filled with truth and heart, for families and for children, and of course I hope that the shows will speak to this audience. I have strong opinions about supporting and guiding children throughout their childhood, so that they can follow their dreams and blossom into their full potential. I think that as a society we’re pushing them too hard and too fast, expecting them to show us their fruit before they have developed strong roots. Roots come from imagination, from free play, from wandering, from being bored!
Equally, do you feel there has been a shift in public sentiment that has affected your work?
I think that, as teachers and parents feel more and more pressure which of course leads to greater demands on our children, my focus and determination to offer an ‘antidote’ to this increase and therefore influences my work, as a writer, performer and as a storytelling trainer.
As we are becoming increasingly separate as families, either by physical distance, financial commitments or modern technology I am determined to use my voice and skill to give families a reason to spend time together, to gather together, share stories together. Stories feed us on a deep level and storytelling is a large part of what makes us human… as our automated world moves rapidly forward I want to be a ‘homeopathic drop’ which allows us to come back to our core, to the natural world and to each other, if only for a moment.
Describe the last year in 5 words or less?
Incredibly tough - my husband died
What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?
My Top Five Tips!
- Make sure your show has a catchy title and good visuals as you’re up against 1000’s of other options for people to see. Be clear of who is your target audience.
- Research the venues and make sure that the one you choose is compatible with your audience profile.
- Don’t expect any financial return. If you make any money this is a bonus and possibly a miracle!
- Have fun and work hard to bring your audiences in, word of mouth is your best tool.
- Be kind and generous and make time to chat to all the wonderful people you’ll meet.
And what advice do you wish you’d been given when entering the industry?
Any advice would have been great! I stumbled my way into the industry. I had no clue about the wide variety of jobs there are or how to access them.
I do wonder though how much I would have listened to any advice anyway!
When and where can people see your show?
PLEASANCE COURTYARD (Beside) V33
1st - 13th August
11.30am daily (except 8th)
Running time 50 minutes
And where can people find, follow and like you online?
F: Wizard Presents Theatre Company
T: @wizardpresents @danyahmiller
Instagram: Danyah Miller
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