Theatre To Take You Through Time
Two productions, one month apart, showcase how the central characters travel through time, into the distant future and make discoveries about life and culture. They are both journeys into the unknown, but one is learning and the other is teaching, while simultaneously teasing us with the question, if you could go to the future and see it, would you?
The Time Machine
Sat 17 Feb, 2pm & 7pm
The Scientific Romance Theatre Company is a new group that’s made up of a multi-award-winning team, including performers Rick Conte (“Dog” in The Man Who Planted Trees), Matt Rudkin (Naive Dance Masterclass) and Deborah Arnott (Diary of a Madman, Caucasian Chalk Circle).
Directed by Andy Cannon (Is This A Dagger?, Black Beauty), they take on HG Wells’ classic sci-fi tale utilising bunraku puppets (designed by Matt Rudkin) with a strong, physical sketch comedy style addressing man’s struggles against nature and fellow man with wit, as Rick Conte states:
‘Our production stays true to the original text, without losing the chance to hi light difficult questions or missing timeless humour.’
This fast-paced adaptation of the sci-fi classic raises fascinating questions for enquiring minds aged 7 and above.
Sound design by Barney Strachan (The Man Who Planted Trees), Lighting design by Laura Hawkins (Company Chordelia), Set Design by Rebecca Hamilton (Flight by Vox Motus), Dramaturgy by Shona Reppe and Andy Manley.
Cèilidh
Sat 17 Mar, 6.30pm & 9pm
Following their award-winning tour of Shrapnel, Scotland’s leading Gaelic theatre company, Theatre Gu Leòr, return with another interactive production, supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
Exploding from the past, Màiri Ruadh, a red-haired 17th century poet is back from the dead to turn the Cèilidh on its head…
Starring Muireann Kelly, Màiri Morrison, MJ Deans and Calum Macdonald, residents in Rodel Village in Harris are unaware that they may shortly be evicted from their homes to make way for a resort full of high-tech bothies. And a golf course…
Enticed by profit, guests are invited to a high-end “cèilidh like no other”, where investment from each guest must be secured. But they haven’t counted on a visit from 17th century poet Màiri Ruadh, who bursts into the cèilidh and turns the night on its head.
Previously buried-face down in the ground for her prophetic writing, which predicted that greed would tear a community apart, she returns for one night to reawaken the value of the community’s own culture and language, to stop the destruction of their homes.
Co-written by Catriona Lexy and Màiri Sìne Chaimbeul, with direction from Lewis Hetherington, audiences will be an integral part of Cèilidh, with the action taking place around them, plus subtitling creatively integrated into the set design, along with live music and song as part of the performance.
This contemporary theatrical take on traditional storytelling, music and song is bound to leave audiences invigorated with community spirit!
Dramaturgy by Lynda Radley, Design by Frances Collier, Sound Design and Musical Direction by MJ McCarthy and Lighting Design by John Wilkie.
