DANIEL Morden has told stories all over the world, performing on Broadway at the National Theatre and at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

But he’s going to be performing much closer to home next week (Thursday October 2).

The local resident will be a familiar face for those who know the Borough well, telling Greek myths for adults and magical fairytales for children.

But the 2017 Hay Festival medal winner says he is looking forward to his latest homecoming gig.

“I always enjoy my shows at The Borough, and I am particularly looking forward to telling The Thief’s Tale to my local community,” he said.

“The show contains all the things I love in a good yarn – a central character you care for, horror, humour, twists, and demonic cats!”

The story follows the fortune of a master thief who has stopped stealing in the hope he can live out the rest of his days peacefully with his wife.

But one night, three hapless young men seek shelter from a storm at his home. Their story is so pitiful that he reluctantly agrees to help them steal a horse from the king, which inevitably goes wrong.

It’s a story which Daniel has told all over the world, in Belgium, Canada, Poland and the USA, and although the show is aimed at adults, he says it will be suitable for anyone over the age of 12.

Mordenadded that it is one of his favourite stories to perform, because it is not only funny, but poignant.

“This story contains everything I want in a really good story, not just as a story teller but as a listener as well,” he said.

“There are moments that are very tense, moments that are very funny and there are moments that are very moving.”

“It’s also one of those stories that takes you back to where it began, so it has a circular structure. At the end of the story, you return to the place where the story started, but you already know that place.”

The structure of the story contains echoes of Greek mythology, with the storyteller saying it echoes the telling of the Odyssey.

The central character there tells a very similar story, but Morden assures the audience that The Thief’s Tale is funnier than that one.

“It’s got lots of black comedy,” he says.

“The audience is going to really relish those moments and laugh as they think how he could possibly get out of his situation.

“Then of course, the story is to find out how he gets home to his wife and convinces the king to let him go.”

Morden’s key to keeping the audience captivated is to keep them guessing, and make sure the story always contains the element of surprise, because it incentivises them to keep listening.

The storyteller promises the audience they will laugh, jump and smile over and over again on the night.

Tickets are available via the Borough Theatre’s box office or via the theatre’s website, boroughtheatreabergavenny.co.uk.