“Set against the background of the Irish potato famine, Bob Wallbank’s new play focuses on a government-backed scheme to provide employment for starving fishing villagers. A civil engineer and his son supervise the building of a stone jetty. But are the people too undernourished to haul the stone? Will it affect the fishing and crop planting? Will it become a jumping-off point for emigrating to America? Into this tragedy of man’s harsh inhumanity to man is woven Celtic folklore of the selkies, grey seals who shed their skins and dance as seductive women in moonlight, and of men who hide those skins to snare themselves wives.”
“The drama in Ian Yeoman’s ambitious and imaginative staging has strong confrontations about social issues, poignant songs, haunting music, mime and tableaux, wild jigs contrasting with poetic moods. DR Lynn gives a powerful portrayal of the idealistic engineer, with Olwen Medi wistfully touching as the trapped selkie. Satisfying support from Naomi Doyle and Danie Croft as two sensitive colleens caught up in the conflicting emotions, Ricky Conlin as the engineer’s gentle son who hero-worships Brunel and Chris Batten as the staunch widower harbouring the woman superstitious villagers fear is a banshee. The simple setting and atmospheric lighting are by Robert Wallbank, costumes by Jill Rolfe, with Dan Lawrence the music director.”