Lynn Ferguson’s Storyland – Gilded Balloon at the Museum
It’s totally fascinating, yet utterly mind-boggling. Of the 8 billion people in this world, no two will ever see the world the same way.
Remember that time you walked home barefoot in the rain? Or the time you hitchhiked across Canada? How about the day you fell face first into mud at a music festival, only to be saved by George Ezra? These are the stories unique to you, and – according to Lynn Ferguson, award-winning writer, performer, and voice of ‘Mac’ in the animated movie Chicken Run – they form the basis of your very own ‘Storyland’. It is this Storyland, says Lynn, that reveals the very essence of who we are.
During the first half of her Fringe show, the Cumbernauld-born performer took to the stage to share her own harrowing, yet hilarious stories. To name but a few, she regaled her audience with tales of building her very own chicken run and ‘worm farm’ during the pandemic; of how Mr Gilmour, a dear old gent she knew as a child, once sneezed his false teeth into wet concrete; and of how she fought off breast cancer with the support of her family and friends. Endearing and heart-wrenching, Lynn’s own life-story was completely absorbing.
The second half saw her welcome Grant Stott – River City star and broadcasting legend – for a short, on-the-spot, unprepped interview. ‘Talk to me about diamonds for two minutes,’ said Lynn with a smile, as she set her timer. Shirley Bassey, James Bond, and family members were all mentioned during Grant’s 120 seconds under the spotlight, at which point Lynn laid down her clock and set about dissecting his responses. His unique perspective of diamonds – of watching his action hero on telly, of listening to iconic songs, and of gifting diamonds to his nearest and dearest – proved Lynn’s point that the stories we tell reveal more about our view of the world than we realise.
‘I get really hacked off when it’s implied that people have to be “trained” to tell a story, or that storytelling is only accessible if you’ve done a course that told you to stand in a “power position” with shoulder pads,’ said Lynn, ahead of her show. ‘Given the opportunity, art naturally comes from people when they’re able to tell you exactly what they’ve seen in life. We have fascinating stuff to say.’
The show felt oxymoronic, yet it worked beautifully. It was both a casual comedy show, and an interactive, feel-good confessional. A thought-provoking hour that sent the cogs turning.
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