Some stories have been told and re-told so many times that it’s easy to forget that storytelling has always had a human component. The Norse Myths are told by people to other people, and some level of personality and customisation is both inevitable and expected.

Alice Fernbank’s latest show, Odin‘s Eye and the Art of Seeing combines Alice’s personal journey with classic tales to create a mesmerising hour of traditional Norse Myth’s combined with Alice’s own experiences. The storyteller recently went through eye surgery to treat cancer. This uses a proton beam, which caused Alice to briefly see into the ultraviolet range.

Fernbank weaves these intensely personal moments in with tales of Odin, Freya, and Mimir. Each story has a reflection in the artist’s own life journey, and this personal touch makes the show a compelling hour of old fashioned storytelling.

Fernbank’s style is warm, clever and intense. Simply presented, charismatic, and fascinating, this is a show you’ll be thinking about for a long time to come. Odin‘s Eye and the Art of Seeing is presented at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in its Netherbow Theatre, which did not help enhance the intimate voices by the fire style of Alice’s presentation. Though we appreciate that venues are at a premium during the Fringe, this is a show that would have benefited from being in a small space.

From finding friends in unusual places to discovering knowledge through hard-won sacrifice, the old myths are as relevant today as they have ever been, and Odin‘s Eye and the Art of Seeing is a crucial reminder that though they are many, many, new stories to discover, there’s a reason why the ancient tales are still told.

You can book for the Edinburgh Fringe show here, and find out more about Alice Fernbank here.