A short trip to the Islands

The first glimpse of Muck

Our Horse + Bamboo tour arrived on the Isle of Muck last Wednesday, and I was fortunate enough to accompany them. The island, with a population somewhere between 30 and 40, is tiny - just a mile wide; two miles long. It is notable for being self-sufficient in power, with large solar panels and several wind-generators that provide all their needs - and which did a thoroughly decent job of providing us power for Angus - Weaver of Grass. 

Mark drives our van, while Jonny, Jordanna and Mel walk to the Community Hall.

28 people turned out for the show - almost 80% of the population! Despite having no blackout the show worked well. It started in close to broad daylight (the hall has large roof lights) but night drew in just as the story gets darker - so the contrast from the light of Angus' early years to his later travails and the long period of incarceration in Craig Dunain was echoed by the changing and dimming light in the hall. 

The show was very well received - everyone staying around for tea and cakes, and to chat with myself and the cast. What a hospitable community! We were fed and watered, and then provided with lovely rooms for the overnight stay, before being waved off from the quayside the next morning. An amazing visit!

Arriving on Islay, Port Askaig.

Then on to Islay, after returning to Mallaig and a drive south. 'Angus' was on at the Bowmore Hall, where 80 people turned up - the arts committee were overjoyed by the size of the audience, and a good few of them were Gaelic speakers. The response at the end was electric - and just about everyone stayed behind to chat, look at the masks and puppets, buy copies of The Silent Weaver book by Roger Hutchinson (which we sell after the show along with Nick Higgin's film Hidden Gifts about Angus). Comments in the book were full of delight and astonishment at our production. So all in all a wonderful trip, and a reminder of the powerful impact that theatre can have on audiences. 

Off to Muck

A few days to recover, mend the caisean-uchd, the van, and the horse masks, and tomorrow we're off to Mallaig ready for the ferry to Muck on Thursday morning, followed by a quick sprint down to another ferry, this time to Islay.

I've found time between jobs to read the Comments Book from Edinburgh, and it's full of glowing comments including:

"A story of beauty, sanity and one man's truth. Courageous, weaving through life itself. Stunning production in its vast sway of talents."

[From Liz Lochhead]:

"The most beautiful, moving, magical & amazing show about Art & extraordinary, ordinary life."

"Second time and it's even more profound"

"Beautiful singing"

....and so on!

Soon we'll be back in Glasgow - at Partick Gaelic School on Wednesday 4th September, and then on Thursday 5th there's a special event at Perth Museum & Art Gallery relating to their exhibition 'Weaver of Grass' about Angus MacPhee, which obviously relates to our show there on the 6th and 7th September, and finally to say that our  old friend Joanne B Kaar is running a special grass weaving workshop at Perth a month later - on the 7th October.

Worth saying that tickets for the Glasgow Partick Gaelic School performance can be bought directly from our website shop - click here.

New tour; new plans

Preparations for a second tour of Angus - Weaver of Grass continue, as Esther begins to fit the itinerary jigsaw together. Roughly a month in Scotland, and a month in England, I believe. Organising the travel so the amount of criss-crossing of countries is kept to a minimum; let alone all the business with ferry time-tables. I'm told that there will be several islands on the schedule again this year - Islay and Muck were mentioned, but as yet I don't know much about the shape of things. Wise to leave it in Esther's capable hands at this point. 

The big change, sadly, will be in the cast. Frances Merriman (above, front left) isn't able to tour this year, as her academic commitments as a final year student at Aberystwyth mean she simply isn't able to tour well into October, as we require. Mairi Morrison (front right) too, has had to leave the cast due to other commitments. Both gave amazing performances last year and will be much missed. 

So the job of auditioning for replacements is also being planned. It will be a difficult job to replace such special performers, as both Fran and Mairi contributed in very distinctive and special ways. Finding people with the same, or even similar, skills won't be easy, but this isn't the first time we've been faced with the problem of recasting performers, in fact it goes with the territory. I'm optimistic that we'll have a new team in place in May - ready for rehearsals in August.