Cassandra - Written and performed by Ailsa Dixon

A compelling mix of music and spoken word, stories of women, past and present, human and mythical, whose truth was unheard We have another exceptional show of storytelling and live music Ailsa Dixon's Cassandra explores themes of belief, feminism, autonomy and climate justice. Cassandra sits in Apollo’s temple, tears drying on her cheeks, blood caked beneath her fingernails. The ritual fires are burning, incense thick in the air. Her body no longer feels like hers, the ghosts of Apollo's hands heavy on her hips. Her mind is shattering under the weight of a thousand prophecies, always true and never believed. By a Scottish mountainside, a spaewife is thrust under the waves of a loch, her prophecies ringing in the ears of her murderers. Orcadian witch Marian Ibster, put to the pyre, screams out to the sky as her lover watches her burn. A girl scrubs her skin red raw in an Edinburgh flat. She blasts pop music as she daubs climate slogans on cardboard protest placards, ignoring the prophecies whistling on the winds of Auld Reekie. Storyteller Ailsa Dixon invites the audience into the realms of a divinatory prophetic ritual, creating a liminal and transient space. Legends of prophetess and priestess, witch and survivor build bridges across time and space; prophecies, pyres, smoke and tears meld and blend together as Ailsa's personal story melts into the old myths. She explores intimate themes of climate activism, sexual assault, feminism and mental health which bleed together in this deeply personal exploration of what it means to be believed. Doors open at 7.00 p.m. Get a drink from the bar then the show starts at 7.30pm. with a few short stories by some our our most talented new tellers. Then after the interval we will hand over to Ailsa and await her telling. Suggested donation £8-£10. There is free parking in the vicinity and bus 8 and 8a stop just around the corner