Hi, welcome to Heather’s House of Stories.
Here’s your key, come on in!
Who is Heather?
Hi, that’s me…Heather Burton. I built an imaginary house and filled the rooms and corners and hallways with stories for us to explore.
I live in a real house with Dan, our two children and our cat Alfie. I love stories and I find them everywhere! I love to listen to people - friends, family, strangers, podcasts. I love camping and walking in the woods, I love the beach and swimming in the sea. I love sunsets and stormy weather.
I love to immerse myself in stories at the theatre and the cinema or by quietly escaping into the world of a book. A snippet of an overheard conversation or brief exchange with a stranger can make my day.
What came before?
I have done so many things before opening the doors to my House of Stories and they are all present in the work I make now. I have a degree in Theatre and Performance Studies from Warwick University and after graduating in 1996 I toured with various theatre companies making physical theatre and devised ensemble work including, Third Angel and Talking Birds . I was an associate performer with Stan's Cafe Theatre Company from 1999 through to 2010 performing in 8 shows, touring extensively across Europe, U.S.A and Australia.
From 2015 - 2018 I delivered music sessions for under 5’s and babies for Bongalong in Walthamstow and while living in Los Angeles I worked with Books and Cookies to create musical story times for the very young. I also volunteered with Young Storytellers as a mentor for students learning the process of writing a screenplay.
My interest in theatre for young people grew after I started looking for theatre experiences to attend with my children. I was inspired to create my first theatre story show after visiting the Imaginate Festival in Edinburgh as a delegate and through professional training with Theatre Rites, Punchdrunk Enrichment, and Little Angel Theatre.
I sing in a choir, I love to dance and I am learning to play the Ukulele.
Why do I tell stories?
My interactive story shows are an enriching shared experience, creating the comfort of a bedtime tale or the thrill of escape to another world!
Stories are powerful, they help us make sense of things, they connect us and make us feel less alone. Stories transport us, they can challenge our perspective and help us solve problems. Stories help us find freedom and magic.
When you experience a Heather’s House of Stories event you can expect a great story told with imagination and theatrical expertise. A story with heart and humour, it will be magical, enchanting and life affirming.
When I share or listen to a story the real world disappears, just for a while we’re in it together, till it’s time to go home.
I’ll leave a key under the mat, you’re always welcome.
Where do I tell stories?
I share stories wherever a community can gather, in theatres, classrooms, libraries and community centres.
In Walthamstow, where I am based, I have shared many stories at Greenleaf Primary School, often developing my work in collaboration with the KS1 team.
I performed my original story shows at Mirth, Marvel and Maud - soon to be The Soho Theatre in Walthamstow and at Walthamstow Trades Hall
The 2017 Jersey Festival of Words commissioned me to write a story to tour the island’s Primary Schools and I hosted an event in the Jersey Library to launch Lauren Child’s book The Dog with Nice Ears.
While living in Los Angeles I told my stories at Linwood E Howe Elementary school. I was invited to perform at The Autry Museum for the SoCal Mom’s Big Day of Play. I created a series of interactive storytimes for preschoolers at A Magic Forest Culver City and have also shared many storytimes in parks, community centres and at The Cayton Children’s Museum in Los Angeles.
