Launching on a maiden voyage

MURIEL ANN MACLEOD, the artistic director of Theatre Hebrides, tells KENNY MATHIESON about the Lewis-based company’s first touring production.

THEATRE HEBRIDES undertake their first tour with Am Bradan – River of Life, a play in both English and Gaelic “for children of all ages” in the Western Isles. Appropriately, the play is about the first voyage of a young salmon.

Am Bradan uses a combination of puppetry, music and theatre in tracing the adventures of Bradan the salmon on a voyage of discovery to find his true home. Puppeteers Artair Donald, Donna Morrison and Brian Smith bring to life the gallery of characters he meets on his eventful odyssey, including otter, oystercatcher, eel, seal, fishermen, shoals of fish and the ever watchful eagle, all of whom contribute something to his education.

Am Bradan seeks to capture elements of the Western Isles natural history as well as telling a wonderful story steeped in the traditions and folklore of the area, but with a present day twist added.

A variety of puppetry forms (from large arm puppets to rod or mechanism-operated shoals of fishes), illusion techniques and simple lighting effects are combined with music and song in the production, which was devised and directed by Muriel Ann Macleod from a story by Domhnall Ruadh, while Kate Allan looks after the technical side.

Theatre Hebrides grew out of Muriel Ann Macleod’s experiences with the Inverness-based Theatre Highland, and in particular that company’s multimedia production An Clo Mor, about the Harris tweed industry.

“I found with Theatre Highland that I was developing work which was about the Western Isles anyway,” Muriel Ann explained. “We did An Clo Mor in 2000, which had a research period of a year and a half. It was a major piece of work that we actually managed to create in the Western Isles, and then tour it from there across Britain.

“I felt that proved it was possible to create such work up here and take it round the country. Then I moved to Lewis, and although I wasn’t specifically intending to do anything else at that point, people keep saying to me how about another Western Isles show?

“The company really exists to create work both in and about the Western Isles, and to take that work out to a wider audience, ideally not only in Britain but also abroad. There is a demand in the dispersed communities around the world, I believe, but the problem is how to realise that. It’s a big undertaking, and the work has to be geared to that as well.

“Am Bradan is a pilot project touring in schools and community centres in the Western Isles. It’s probably aimed at up to 12 year olds, but it’s really a universal show, and it works on a lot of levels. It does use several different media, and we are planning on that being something this company does, but it just depends on the project.

“We have Metagama coming up next year, which is new bi-lingual play reflecting emigration from Lewis in the 1920’s, which also employs theatre, music and multimedia. It is written by an Irish writer named Dermot Healy, who is a remarkable character, and we are getting a completely different style of work from him.”

Community performances of Am Bradan – River of Life can be seen at the following venues:

Lionel School, Ness, Thursday 30 October 2003 (7pm)
Stornoway Town Hall, Friday 31 October 2003 (7pm)
Uig Community Hall, Wednesday 5th November October 2003 (7pm)
Leverburgh Hall, Friday 7 November 2003 (6pm)
Sgoill Lionacleit, Benbecula, Tuesday 11 November 2003 (7pm)
Castlebay Community School, Friday 14 November 2003 (7.30 pm)

For bookings and more information contact Theatre Hebrides on 01851 770287 or e-mail: info@theatrehebrides.com