A “HAUNTING” and “funny” tale combines storytelling and music at Salisbury Arts Centre.

The Devil’s Violin present Stolen, a psychological storytelling, a journey through a dreamlike land where audiences will encounter a king turned to stone, an old woman living in the claw of a giant cockerel and a glass man filled with wasps.

Storyteller Daniel Morden will be bringing the tale to life on stage at Salisbury Arts Centre on Thursday (May 17), 8pm.

“What people can expect is cinema of the mind,” says Morden. “I’m on stage telling traditional stories, the landscape that you would associate with fairytales and the characters you associate with fairytales. But they aren’t children’s fairytales, the stories stakes are a lot higher.”

“They go on this journey and it features this kind of world you expect from fairytales. But really it is a universal story - it is a story about what do you do to conquer adversity. There is a lot of humour in it too.

“Any good story needs to have set backs, jeopardy and so forth and that is what this story has. It has a journey out of the known world and into the unknown.”

The storytelling element of the show is interwoven with the string accompaniment of Sarah Moody and Oliver Wilson-Dickson.

He says the character is not someone that goes out looking for danger. As he Morden explains: “He is someone who has trouble thrust upon him and he does not really want to leave behind his garden. What he wants to do is just stick around and grow courgettes . Unfortunately, the world conspires against him and he has to go and try and find out the answer to a puzzle and mystery,” Morden explains.

Morden, who has been a storyteller for some 30 years, says the show was inspired by a poem he read during a festival in Dundee about 10 years ago, which was written by James Robertson.

“It is a haunting, funny story that is about what happens to us when we suddenly encounter a set back,” he says. “Storytelling, music and live performance is very much connected to audience response. In the live show we are reacting to audience reaction.

“We have made a moving and fun show, which we are proud of and taking all over the country wherever we can play it in an attempt to try and restore the belief that people can gather and listen and see something.”

Morden says he is looking forward to performing at Salisbury Arts Centre after missing out on The Devil’s Violin’s last performance in the city due to sickness.

He adds: “I have never been to Salisbury before.

“It is lovely to take the show out and feel how the responses are different in different places.”

For tickets or more information about The Devil’s Violin: Stolen is at Salisbury Arts Centre call the box office on 01722 320333 or go to salisburyartscentre.co.uk