This is an intriguing gothic thriller about who gets to claim ownership of the land we live on, interweaving myths and legends of Scotland and Japan.
Photo © Tim Morozzo
Set on a Hebridean island, Kazumi is hunting a sea monster when he meets Coblaith, a local woman whose family have lived there for generations.
But there’s something strange about Coblaith’s obsessive affection for the lochs and something even stranger about the way the other islanders treat her. Could it be that Coblaith is the mythical creature he has been searching for or are humans the true monsters of the world.
Produced by An Tobar and Mull Theatre, this atmospheric piece creates many evocative images. Lighting designer Benny Goodman brings Hebridean fog and mire to the world, lighting shapes and gaps to throw shadows and mystery.
The excellent design from Kenneth Mcleod allows the duo huge flexibility with hidden boxes and concealed props which bring seamless transitions to the storytelling.
The script wanders through the piece; never seeming to focus on any one theme but hinting at many predictable environmental troubles. There are moments that also fail to make clear sense, especially the sexual innuendo, and the lengthy exposition by Coblaith.
Directed by Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, Carla Langley is a powerful Coblaith alongside Jamie Zubari as the searching Japanese Biologist Kazumi, working hard to find their way through the weighty text.
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Reviewer: Petra Schofield
