Lost at Sea – a theatrical tribute to the fishing communities of Scotland


With thanks to Rachel Campbell - Aberdeen Performing Arts

A brand-new production of Morna Young’s epic fishing drama Lost at Sea will come to His Majesty’s Theatre this coming May.  
Inspired by the loss of her fisherman father, Morna Young’s personal tribute to the fishing communities of Scotland comes to His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen (Thursday 9 until Saturday 11 May), as part of a Scotland wide tour.

A storm is brewing in a small fishing village. A young woman returns home, searching for answers about her father's death. But as she begins to weave together the strands of her past, a mysterious force unravels family secrets. Lost at Sea journeys through a labyrinth of myth and memory in an epic tale spanning forty years of the fishing industry.

Featuring the voices of fishermen and their families in their own words – with music, songs and Scots language – Lost at Sea is the lyrical and powerfully evocative story of a North-East fishing family.

With much of Scotland being a stone’s throw from a fishing community, Lost at Sea shines a new and unique light on what is still the UK’s most dangerous profession, and at a time when fishing rights are, once again, top of the political agenda. It explores universal themes of loss, family, community and the challenges facing traditional industries.
 
Morna Young said: "Lost at Sea is a play that has existed in my mind for my whole life. My fisherman father was lost when I was a child; his body never recovered. This story is echoed throughout fishing villages around the coast, the impact of loss scarring communities for decades. I wanted to pay tribute to these men and their families. I wanted to write these voices that I’d never seen on stage.”
“The play spans forty years of the fishing industry, the story told chorally by one family and the surrounding community. Fishing is still the most dangerous job in the world during peacetime – there is fifty times more risk of being killed than in any other profession. It’s a subject that has never been fully explored in a theatrical setting and I wanted to provide a platform for these unheard communities.”

The production marks a Scottish comeback for director Ian Brown, who returns to direct Lost at Sea, his first show in Scotland since his eight-year tenure as artistic director at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.

He said: “Morna’s play has a fierce authenticity. It deals with the sea’s power, its unpredictability and the lifelong draw it has on those who depend on it for their livelihoods. It’s also a deeply personal play, with characters trying, as best they can, to make sense of their lives as well as coming to terms with the deaths of the fishermen that surround them.
I feel very privileged to return to Perth Theatre, where I directed my first professional production, as well as to work again in Scotland where I spent twelve years at Tag Theatre Company and then at the Traverse. Returning to direct an ambitious new play by Morna with a wonderful company of Scottish actors is very exciting.”

Morna Young continued: “Lost at Sea was my debut play and it has taken seven years from initial idea through to production. It has been a long, emotional journey but I am delighted to be working with Perth Theatre to bring this story to life. Moreover, I am elated that Ian Brown is returning to Scotland to direct this production. It is a true honour to work with him."

Aberdeen Performing Arts Director of Programming and Creative Projects, Ben Torrie, said: “Lost at Sea is a hugely powerful and moving piece of theatre, particularly for audiences in the North East, so many of whom have connections to the fishing industry."


Tickets are available from www.aberdeenperformingarts.com

Lost at Sea will play @ HMT Aberdeen from May 9th - 11th

Location: Aberdeen, UK

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