LGBTQ+, Storytelling

Queer Folks' Tales

with Turan Ali, Giulia Galastro, Themo H. Peel & Orla Shortall

(Thu 9 Oct: 7:30pm)

Queer Folks’ Tales continues its hit 2025 run with its 4th anniversary show and another queerer-than-queer line up! As always, LGBTQ+ storytellers galore from around Edinburgh and Scotland share stories of queer lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories across the year is as varied as the range of storytellers invited.

Household names feature alongside new and diverse queer storytellers from the different communities of Scotland. Many of the stories told in the Queer Folks' Tales evenings will be true stories of LGBTQ+ experience in Scotland today. Hosted by Edinburgh’s Turan Ali. who is joined on Thu 9 Oct by stand up Giulia Galastro, writer and illustrator Themo H. Peel and poet and writer Orla Shortall.

~~~~~

Turan Ali has been a producer, director and writer of BBC radio dramas and comedies for over 25 years. He’s been a stage storyteller since 2012, and a stand up since 2021. He tours internationally and has two sell out monthly storytelling shows in Vienna. He’s the creator, producer and host of Queer Folks’ Tales for which he won the Creative Edinburgh Leadership Award 2024. QFT now tours across Scotland and is Creative Scotland funded.

Giulia Galastro says she’s a "tiny Edinburgh-based comedy person" and a trainee clown. She is a prolific and much-in-demand stand-up comedian, performing widely. She hosts regular Scottish comedy nights and her Open Comedy event has won two Chortle Awards: Best Open Mic Night, Scotland, 2023 and 2024. 'Giulia Galastro is a shining light on the current Scottish comedy scene' (The Skinny).

Themo H Peel is a writer and illustrator based in Edinburgh. He has published 2 young adult science fiction novels and his poetry appears in many Reviews and Journals internationally. As an artist and tutor he has a passion for inspiring diverse (minority, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, disabled) young people to use art as a tool for self-actualisation. He was a featured poet at Glastonbury 2025 and has performed at Edinburgh Fringe and around Scotland.

Orla Shortall is a writer, performer and academic originally from Ireland and based in Aberdeen. She is a spoken word artist and has performed stand-up comedy. She co-hosts the popular monthly spoken word night Speakin' Weird in Aberdeen which she founded in 2017. Her narrative non-fiction book about dairy farming is to be released in spring 2026.

★★★★★ 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' (The Wee Review)
★★★★★ 'Utterly fabulous' (TheQR.co.uk)
★★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)

---

Queer Folks' Tales is supported by Creative Scotland

• Storytelling
• £14.00
• 9 October 2025
• 120 minutes
• 19:30
• Scottish Storytelling Centre
• Netherbow Theatre
• 18+
• 
  This event may contain strong language/swearing. Some stories may have content which is sensitive or triggering to audiences.