Andrew Wright

Originally from England, Andy is a fourth generation story-teller, descended from three blind matriarchs; his mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother all of whom although lacking physical sight passed on the ability to truly see the world through our imagination. Andy’s valuable gift of story-telling in the ancient Celtic oral tradition means he is "able to paint pictures with his words and actions" (Waikato press) "transporting listeners to a world of weird and wonderful characters of every shape size and personality." (Rotorua review).

Andy now travels the world telling stories at theatres, festivals, libraries, schools, and conferences. He has performed in Asia, America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Wherever he travels reviewers have been full of praise. "His stories are simple and so many people can relate to - the glory of scoring the winning try, the horror of having a tooth knocked out, the ignominy of having to wear glasses that looked like they had been cut from the bottom of milk bottles." (New Zealand Press Association). Teachers and Students have been equally captivated by Andy’s stories. "Andy was absolutely fabulous. The students and teachers thoroughly enjoyed his humour and the exquisite deliveries of the three contrasting stories. Andy is a true storyteller who enters into the heart of his stories and has his audience in the palm of his hand" (St Clement of Rome School). Whilst others have celebrated the value of his workshops: "a clear and practical set of suggestions for exploiting the concept of storytelling, whether for children or adults. He shows how even traditional tales may be adapted to suit or appeal to a modern audience, or an audience with different cultural norms and expectations to those of the teacher or storyteller." (International Association Teachers of English as a Foreign Language. UK.).

Andy is committed to helping children, adults, and organizations communicate better, discover their own stories, celebrate their own culture and the culture of others. He uses his storytelling to promote literacy, reading, and the love of literature. Most importantly he portrays a sense of fun, mixing a fine blend of humour with true emotional pathos. As well as folk tales, fairy tales, Bible stories, and horror stories, Andy tells a number of personal stories about growing up in a provincial city. Many of these tales contain traditional elements of odyssey and journey with a dash of stand up comedy. Andy offers a series of workshops on story-telling and writing, plus training programs for staff development, team building, and better communication.