Manjimup Repertory Club’s storytelling show to return this month

The Manjimup Repertory Club is bringing back its storytelling series later this month, with several new names to share their true stories.

The club is hosting the sixth instalment of Out Loud: A Storytelling Series, with six storytellers taking to the Repertory Theatre’s stage for one night only on October 26.

The storytellers — Brian Hickman, Paddy Pemberton, Pat Martin, Aurthur Rifkin, Wally Bettink and Anne O’Donnell — will bring their stories to life for audiences.

The series started in January 2021 and has seen 34 storytellers on the Manjimup stage, with stories varying from the comical to the more emotional.

Show organiser Catherine Bamess said she enjoyed putting the storytelling shows on and always had an idea of who she wanted for the next one.

“For a lot of people, it’s getting right out of their comfort zone to get up on stage and it takes lots of courage and bravery, even if the audience is full of your friends and family,” she said.

“It still can be a daunting thing to get up there to speak to a full audience of a hundred (people).

“The audience is such a beautiful and supportive group who love listening to stories and these storytellers are wearing their heart on the sleeves.”

Bamess said she was inspired to make the Out Loud series after listening to podcasts. She believed there was a need for stories to be shared in a live format.

“I thought there would be a lot of people in this area who would have a story to tell, which might not necessarily be a local story but is a true story,” she said.

Tickets are available at Trybooking, or from the Manjimup Town Library.