Spellbound by dragons: Chloë’s story

Chloë’s childhood was spent in Cambridge and Berkshire. Her father was the entomologist Professor A D Lees FRS.

As a solo child, adopted by socially shy parents in the 1970s, she depended on books. Luckily, her father’s colleague Professor John Treherne swept his family and the Lees off on joint holidays to the scientists’ research hut on Scolt Head, north Norfolk. It was there that Chloë heard the stories of Smaug, Chrysophylax and the Borrowers – read by John Treherne who put in all the right voices while the fire crackled, paraffin lamps hissed, and summer storms howled around the hut.

From then on, eight-year-old Chloë was spellbound by the power of the spoken word – and by the dragons – she never looked back!

As part of her French and drama university course, Chloë worked in Normandy and Paris, and she became bilingual. Most of her drama course was taught at Central School of Speech & Drama.

“It’s only stagecraft and the love of language that have ever earned me a living,’ she wrote. ‘I talked my way into jobs, first with a small publisher then as a copywriter in public relations.”

Two days after her 1988 honeymoon she was made redundant, but her work as a freelance copywriter and editor continued until the early 2000s. She abandoned marriage in 1993, but remained on peaceful terms with her ex-husband up to his death from lung cancer in 1998.

By then, Chloë’s life had changed. “In 1990 I auditioned against 200 other people to become an international presenter – there were only six jobs going and I landed one of them. For nine years I travelled the UK and overseas, presenting all-day training seminars. Everything from 'How to Write, Design & Edit Newsletters’ to How to Deal with Difficult People. It was all good information, I wore a red trouser suit with fancy buttons and red leather ankle boots – I had a ball.”

Chloë moved to the Cotswolds in 1995 and rented cottages on various farms for more than 21 years . The rural landscape, clean air and starry nights kept her going through years of isolation and depression.

A 2017 move to a top floor flat in Cheltenham, intending to enjoy the richness and stimulation of café society. Instead, drunks and druggies screamed and vomited outside the front door every night. Shop alarms and kitchen fans reverberated at all hours. Amplified buskers crooned the same repertoire every weekend. Seagulls used the skylight as their toilet. Town air was like diesel soup.

At least the flat was within walking distance of Cheltenham General hospital… This was invaluable after Chloë was rushed there for emergency cancer surgery in May 2018.

After two series of chemotherapy, Chloë moved back to the peace of the Cotswolds in December 2019. She had more surgery in November 2020, then, never one to give up easily, she worked hard to rebuild Midnight Storytellers.

The deferred 20 Years of Tales celebrations started in February 2021 with online performances for The Folk of Gloucester and Story Forge Sheffield, plus Zoom sessions co hosting Moving Stories Café (Gloucester).

Her mission: to boldly take performance storytelling where it had never gone before.

Professional Development

• BA Combined Honours Degree in French & Drama, London 1983

• Storytelling courses 1997-99 Alexander Mackenzie; 2000, 01.05 Michael Harvey & Hazel Bradley; 2001, 02, 04, 05 Hugh Lupton & Eric Maddern; 2002 Emerson College; 2005 Shonaleigh Cumbers

• Voice courses 2000, 04 Frankie Armstrong; 2019 Jacquie Crago

• 2007 Shakespeare performance

• 2008 Commedia dell’arte

• 2017 Digital marketing