Learning to Play

Join Sophia Hatfield, the Brontë Parsonage’s Storyteller in Residence, for a live performance of her latest work, followed by a post-performance discussion with refreshments. 

Parenting is a rocky road for all who venture across it. Yorkshire folklore tells of a deadly black dog, known as the Barguest, who roams the moors - a dark omen for any traveller unfortunate enough to cross its path. Tales of caution are a common feature in Yorkshire folklore, people caught out by their own foolish expectations, trapped by the expectations of others, or besieged by the ‘black dog’. The stories we tell ourselves shape who we are as parents, but what if we've been telling the story wrong?

Through a unique mix of music, songs, and storytelling, inspired by Yorkshire folk tales and the legend of the Barguest, mother and storyteller Sophia Hatfield asks, does the black dog really want to hurt us? Does he want to warn us? Or does he just want us to play? Join Sophia for an honest account of early motherhood, folk tales with a contemporary twist, and inspiration from the Brontë story, as she reframes her experiences of motherhood with wit, invention, and playfulness.