Gerda Stevenson has pooled her talents as playwright and poet to create a beautiful modern Scottish sea myth.
In this melding of fantasy and reality, she gives voice to the remains of a young disabled woman who now lies on the ocean’s bed and recounts her life. Her able bodied twin had been drowned while out on a fishing boat with her father, now an unforgiven fished oot fisherman. Her town has been swallowed by the sea so she ends with the same fate as her sister. While living, her words remained stuck inside her, only appearing as an indecipherable wail yet as a rickle o banes her voice is clear and articulate. Weaving from past to present, Skelton Wumman (Amy Conachan) uses the vibrant words of her Scots mother tongue that are mirrored in fluent sign language by Buchan Lennon throughout as part of the drama to narrate the tale.
Stevenson looks disability square in the face, exposing the physical needs and difficulties faced by the character, played with vulnerable agility by Conachan. She shows this young woman’s near silent connection with the deaf Arabian swimmer with his shinin daurk een and in true fairy tale tradition, meeting him in death when love lets her gain physical transformation.
Against a set of faded drapes, painted to look aquatic, a fine comment on environmental issues takes place alongside this poetic tale that is filled with tenderness. Seylan Baxter, who is very much part of the action, provides exquisite music on what I can only describe as a portable cello. Buchan Lennon gives a sensitive performance as he switches from the eldriche young swimmer to the loving but hopeless faither with ease. Once again Amy Conachan, though still a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, gives a memorable performance.
This is a compelling tale of the enduring power of love that lets the listener dip through the vital versatility of the Scots language.
Tue 22- Sat 26 Apr, 1pm (with an additional 7pm performance on Fri 25)
Age Recommendation: 14+
£12 (includes a play, a pie and a pint of beer/125ml glass of house wine/regular glass of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, lemonade, orange juice, tea or filter coffee).