With mini pirates all around us and a puffin popping out eggs the size of table tennis balls, we were in for a festive treat.
Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre is renowned for its Christmas productions, where classic tales are served up with a Scottish twist.
And this year’s helping featured a rejig of Robert Louis Stevenson’s infamous Treasure Island by Orkney writer Duncan McLean.
Duncan has the enviable joy of living on a hill overlooking Scapa Flow, with two lighthouses built by the Stevenson family.
And this was the inspiration for the Christmas show, which proved to be a bit hit and miss with the mainly young audience, many of whom donned pirate hats to join in the fun.
The good points were the strong cast and impressive set. The bad, was the lack of any real rib ticklers to get us all into the festive spirit.
The modern tale tells of narrator Jim Hawkins, now running a home for reformed pirates, who always get a bedtime story, which can’t remind them of their old lives or get them too excited.
Except one day Jim relents and tells them all about his swash-buckling life. After managing to get a map off Billy Bones, Jim sets sail for Orkney to find some treasure.
Jade Chan plays a strong Jim, with Amy Conachan as Lean Jean Silver, Itxaso Moreno (Billy Bones), Tim Dalling (Ben Gunn), TJ Holmes (The Laird) and Dylan Read (Blind Pew/puffin).
With a cracking set under the direction of Wils Wilson and Alex Berry, the story flows pleasantly but never really takes a real bite.
For me, the puffin which replaces the original parrot, is the star of the show. Designed by Julia Jeulin, along with Ailsa Dalling and Sarah Wright, the feathered friend gets the most laughs, particularly when it decides to lay some very large and noisy eggs.
Composer and musical director Tim Dalling brings some jolly pirate songs to the show and the finale gets the audience in the Christmas spirit, it’s just a shame the story lacks a bit more fun and adventure.
All in all, though it’s a great way to kick off the festive season and the show, developed with the support of the National Theatre’s Generate programme, and runs until 4th January 2025, Tuesday to Saturdays at 7:00pm, with matinees on Saturdays and from 23rd December at 2:00pm, with production on Sundays at 1:00pm and 6:00pm. For ticket information, please visit: www,lyceum.org.uk.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Photographs by Jess Shurte
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