Theatre Review: The Selkie
A Mermaids Production
03/04/2023-04/04/2023
Directed by: Angelina Nayar and Eleanor Pitt
Written by: Eleanor Pitt
Review by Issy Bowyer
The Selkie, directed and created by Eleanor Pitt and Angelina Nayar, and written by Pitt, is a gut-wrenching twist on the classic fairy-tale structure. It grapples with lost identities whilst simultaneously evoking and modernising a dying past of Scottish folklore. The Selkie follows the character of the Selkie (Lucy Buchanan) herself as she uncovers her true identity and escapes from the life of a housewife drugged into submission by her controlling husband. The play follows the fairy-tale structure of an inciting incident which causes the Selkie to go on a journey, meeting different characters one by one along the way, some of whom have good intentions towards her, and others who do not.
Buchanan’s performance is beautiful and emotionally raw. Buchanan begins as the timid housewife, insecure in herself and anxious to do the right thing. Though as the Selkie’s story progresses she delivers a powerful representation of compassion, wonder and grief. The moments of female rage in the play, so well written by Pitt, are made powerful through Buchanan’s delivery. Buchanan holds her audience captivated in empathy for the Selkie in pain. The characters the Selkie meets along her journey are, in true fairy-tale fashion, unconventional and a little eccentric. Each character is played in a unique manner, some quirky, injecting moments of humour, some elusive and mystical, and some exposing humanness for what it can be when we fall.
What struck me as unique about this modern twist on folklore and fairy-tale, was that it did not have a male narrator. This is particularly significant given that in Selkie folklore, the tales are usually told by the man who steals the Selkie’s sealskin to keep her on land. However, in the play, we have direct access to the Selkie through her monologues throughout. These monologues not only break convention by uplifting the female voice, but allow us to better understand the emotional journey of the Selkie herself. The Selkie’s monologues and the audience’s access to her inner struggle evokes a theme of the play: that we should not let our identity be dictated by someone else, our identities are dictated only by ourselves. Although the Selkie’s quest to find and understand her own identity is most obviously representative of a Scottish identity, an identity shrouded in loss in which Scottish myths, legends, and language are dying out, and additionally of female identity in terms of autonomy, anyone can see themselves in the character of the Selkie. The tale therefore transcends time, sexuality, gender, etc. in that each individual can see some of themselves and their own individual quests for identity in the Selkie.
The Selkie brings Scottish folklore back into light where it is being forgotten and deals with identity in a way that feels true to fairy-tales and folklore, while remaining refreshing and modern. The play’s ending reminds us of our own autonomy, and how powerful it is to think – or more importantly feel – for ourselves.
The Selkie returns for its final performance tonight, April 4th at 7:30pm at The Barron at the Byre Theatre. Tickets can be found here: https://www.yourunion.net/events/7986/2455/
