RATHMULLAN based writer and storyteller Joe Brennan flies out to St. Petersburg in Russia this week as a guest of the VIII International 'Rainbow' Theatre Festival. During his visit Joe will participate in a playwrighting seminar.

"The invitation came about as a result of my play 'The Witchin' Well' featuring at a festival in Bucharest last year," Joe explained.

"The international producer for the Rainbow festival saw the play and really liked it.' The Witchin' Well was first produced by An Grianán Theatre in 1995 for the Earagail Arts Festival. It subsequently toured nationally twice. It proved very successful with both adults and children alike," he added.

Joe is well known throughout the county and beyond for his storytelling skills. He has performed at venues throughout Ireland and has featured at most of the country's major storytelling festivals including being a featured teller at the Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival. He travels to Norway at the end of the summer for an international storytelling festival there.

"Travel is one of the benefits of this work," he said.

"I've always loved to travel and now these amazing opportunities are coming my way through my work. It's a great opportunity to see new places and experience different cultures which always fuels the creative juices," he said.

As well as participating in the seminar Joe will get the opportunity to see a variety of plays from around the world.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing a great variety of styles of theatre from various countries and to meet with people creating theatre in diverse situations," he concluded.