Feature: THE MOTH MAINSTAGE: TIGHTROPE at The Southbank Centre

At The Moth Mainstage Tightrope five extraordinary storytellers took to the stage to explore risk, survival and the courage to keep moving forward.

One foot in front of another. Sometimes that is all there is to do when life feels like a tightrope.

The Moth returned to London for an evening of extraordinary true stories at Queen Elizabeth Hall, with its latest Mainstage show, Tightope, exploring risk, uncertainty, survival and the courage required to keep moving forward.

The Moth’s signature live format brings together writers, artists, adventurers, community members and unexpected voices, each sharing a true personal story live and without notes. For this particular evening, host and comedian Sara Barron had given her five storytellers a very specific mission. They were asked to tell her something they had done which they thought they could get away with, but did not.

The evening began with musician Patrick Hinds taking to the stage with his harp guitar, a unique instrument which he used to create an original beat. Barron questioned whether his love of the guitar harp might be due to being bored of six strings, before deciding that he was clearly a man who likes a challenge. It was an appropriate opening for an evening built around the feeling of being on a tightrope, with Hinds onteh spot.

The first storyteller was Annabel Port, a writer, podcast host and former award winning UK based radio presenter. Asked by Barron about something she had thought she could get away with, but could not, Port recalled becoming stuck in the doors of the tube on the Underground. It was a painful experience and one which taught her a simple lesson: sometimes it is better to wait two minutes for the next train.

Her main story, however, took the audience much further away from London. Port recalled a holiday in St Lucia with her then boyfriend of six years, when he unexpectedly proposed marriage. While a marriage proposal might traditionally be considered a romantic moment, Port questioned the expectation that somebody should be able to answer such a huge question within a matter of seconds. Surely, she suggested, it should be something people are given a reasonable amount of time to consider. It was an entertaining reflection on the pressures surrounding one of life’s biggest decisions, and on what happens when the expected answer is not necessarily as straightforward as the person asking the question might hope.

The second storyteller was Michelle D Osbourne, a London based designer maker and founder of Momso, a sewing and creative studio. Osbourne delivered the most compelling story of the evening, sharing a deeply personal account surrounding her mother’s death and her own journey of ancestry. Her search was ultimately about finding the truth about her biological family relationships, including the connections surrounding her and her twin. It was a story which was shocking, sincere and inspiring in equal measure. Osbourne spoke with a remarkable openness about the process of searching for the truth, even when that truth had the potential to destabilise the world she knew. Yet there was also considerable strength in her decision to keep searching. Her story demonstrated the power which can come from confronting difficult questions, rather than allowing them to remain unanswered.

The third storyteller was Federico A Ruiz, the son of Dominican immigrants who grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Ruiz served for eight years in the US Army combat urban search and rescue company before spending two decades with the US Capitol Police, where he eventually retired as a police sergeant. His career has been marked by extraordinary experiences, including working at Ground Zero during and after September 11, 2001. He has been honoured with the Military Meritorious Service Medal and the Congressional Gold Medal, the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States. Yet Ruiz’s story was not simply about his career or his experiences on the frontline. It was about trauma and the difficulty of acknowledging it. His story explored the previous old school ethos of remaining stone cold when confronted with experiences of trauma and the rejection of therapy which could accompany that mentality. Over time, however, Ruiz found a different way forward. He recognised the power of being open and the importance of finding a way through what had happened, rather than simply attempting to carry it alone. It was a particularly powerful contribution to an evening centred on survival and emotional strength.

Act Two opened with a story from Barron herself, who turned her attention to something considerably more everyday: her intense hatred of small talk. It provided a lighter change of pace before the fourth storyteller took to the stage.

Eric Underwood is an American British ballet dancer, actor, model and presenter who has danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem, American Ballet Theatre and the Royal Ballet. A passionate advocate for diversity in ballet, he has pushed for greater representation and accessibility within dance. Underwood’s story focused on monetary survival and a period when he found himself working in a club, something which sat in opposition to the strict values surrounding his ballet career. His colleagues’ attempts to shame him over the decision ultimately produced an unexpected result. Rather than being defeated by the situation, Underwood found himself receiving a higher wage while being able to focus solely on his original job role. It was another example of the unpredictable ways in which a difficult situation can turn into something positive.

The final storyteller of the evening was Aween Abubaker, a Kurdish multidisciplinary thinker educated in engineering whose work has spanned five countries. Her interests include movement, safe spaces for refugees and equality. Abubaker had previously appeared at the May Moth show, where she shared a story about her bicycle and the young female experience of riding it. This time, there were familiar elements to the story, but the focus ultimately shifted towards her mother. It brought the evening back to the importance of family, memory and the experiences which shape us.

Across the five stories, the tightrope became more than simply a theme. It became a metaphor for the unpredictable moments which can alter the direction of a life. A proposal, a family secret, a traumatic experience, career provision, or a childhood memory can all become moments when there is no obvious next step.

The Moth continues to be a show which celebrates storytelling from ordinary people telling extraordinary stories. The power of The Moth comes from the individual standing alone on stage and trusting the audience with something personal. Each walked their own greatest tightrope to success.

Don't Miss a UK Regional News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...