Cornwall on stage Story-gathering project puts local tales in spotlight

The stories about life in Cornwall have flowed in: the hairdresser who gives everyone the same style because it copes best with the elements; the teacher who took a snowball in a cool box to the Isles of Scilly; the cat that follows the same routine as a country singing legend.

- Steven Morris

Over the last five years, scores of such tales have been painstakingly collected and blended into a play called White Horse that reimagines a beloved book by one of the great chroniclers of south-west England, Michael Morpurgo.

Taking a break from rehearsals before the play opens in the old Cornish mining town of Redruth on 28 February, the director, Simon Harvey, said themes that surfaced during the five-year story-gathering project included the importance of place, family, home and belonging - plus the enduring of storytelling.

"It has been a fascinating project, a really interesting way of working," he said. "More than 80 stories emerged - so much good material. We went into the communities and spent a few days there chatting to people and collecting stories."