[image]
[title]Ah, dating – good or bad, you’re bound to get a story out of it. That’s where ‘Story Party’ leaps into the picture; originating from San Francisco, ‘Story Party’ is an award-winning live storytelling show where professional storytellers Rachman Blake, Captain Khalid and Elena Gabrielle share true (and truly hilarious) dating tales. During the show, you'll also get the chance to tell your own dating stories (whether fairy tale or nightmare) by writing on an anonymous slip and letting Rachman and co read them on stage.
‘Story Party’ returns to KL this weekend from Jan 19-20 for a two-day run at PJ Live Arts, so we caught up with founder and professional storyteller Rachman Blake to tell us more about the show.
Photo: Story Party
How did the idea for ‘Story Party’ come about?
Back in 2013 in San Francisco, ‘Story Party’ was born out of a bad break up. One night, a friend and I were on stage complaining about our recent break ups, and the audience was laughing like crazy. We instantly felt better. So we decided to create a storytelling show about dating, and because it’s cheaper than therapy. Five years later, we’ve been to five continents, more than 20 countries and have done over 1,000 shows. In the end, we learnt that if you think your dating life is bad, think again; you’re definitely not alone.
There's been a ‘Story Party’ in Helsinki, Singapore, Istanbul, Serbia and more. How does bringing the show to an international audience feel?
After doing ‘Story Party’ in over 20 countries, we’ve discovered that every culture can agree on one thing: dating can be horrible. We love touring because dating is such a relatable topic worldwide; we hear stories from all over the globe and pretty much everyone struggles in their quest to find The One. The bigger the struggle, the better the story. A good story makes you feel great for two reasons: 1) You’re not alone in the struggle, and 2) It could be worse.
Photo: Story Party
What's the most memorable story you've heard since you started?
We’ve heard so many stories, but here’s one of my favourite from our anonymous confession slips: ‘I went on a date with an American guy who was really into his Paleo diet. His date idea – I cook dinner for him. I don’t really know how to cook, let alone Paleo, so I decided to make something simple: tuna salad. But when I went to buy tuna at the grocery store, it was sold out. So I bought the only thing they had left… tuna for cats. It smelled awful, but he didn’t notice. I did, and I refused to kiss him after that.’
So, dating. What’s your idea of a good date and a bad one?
A good date is all about good conversation. You don’t even have to be funny or witty, you just have to listen. Listening is sexy for both men and women. A bad date idea is going to someplace too loud to talk like a rowdy bar or nightclub. Don’t do that!
Looking for more dating stories from ‘Story Party’? Visit www.facebook.com/StoryPartyTour.