Anna Burnside reviews ‘a much-needed reminder of the unifying power of performance, music, dancing and love’.
Whom amongst us has not taken overseas visitors to a ceilidh, an instant crash course in wha’s like us Scottish culture fuelled by distinctive music and plentiful drams?
Scottish theatre company Wonder Fools and South Korea’s Theatre SAN develop this principle into Tether, in this slightly drawn but delightful show, the reels and Strathspeys link a century-spanning story of a Korean missionary who falls in love with a sonsie Glaswegian lassie.
From him, she learns the traditional Korean folk song Arirang, which shares a five-note structure with Scottish bangers such as “Auld Lang Syne”.
The course of cross-cultural true love does not go smoothly, and the downbeat ending is a tonal clash with the willow-stripping jollity of the first half of the show.
That structural problem aside, this is a hugely enjoyable piece of interactive ceilidh theatre. A four-piece band play Scottish trad tunes augmented by Korean instruments. When it’s time for the young missionary, an endearing Hyeon-kyu Choi, to lead the ganggangsullae - a traditional Korean dance - Seyoung Lee does the honours on his own.
The Scottish and Korean cast speak in their own languages, with supertitles in both projected behind the band. It feels as seamless and natural as the musical mash ups. In a month of heavyweight themes and dark humour about darker subjects, Tether is a much-needed reminder of the unifying power of performance, music, dancing and love.
Tether performs at Summerhall (Main Theatre) at 16:30 (60mins) until 31 August 2026. For further details, go to the Summerhall website.
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