Anna Burnside reviews the latest offering from A Play, A Pie and A Pint.
Oighrig and Leagsaidh are going fishing. Leagsaidh marches ahead while Oighrig lags behind, complaining about the bog, demanding fairy stories that she can enjoy while sitting down.
The fairy stories are a hint that this is more than a buddy quest with a bait box. Writer Kenny Boyle ties the Hebridean landscape with childhood memories of the folk tales that accompany family trips. It’s a clever evocation of how place, memory and myth coexist.
Despite some heavy hints about sad stuff, the first half is mostly funny. MJ Deans, as Oighrig, is a natural comedian with great timing and a hugely endearing stage presence. This makes a midway tone change to spooky and menacing hard to pull off.
The soundscape doesn’t help, jumping from realistic - ploppy fishing noises - to unexplained recorded Mod music. The two Gaelic-speaking actors are marching across a moor. If ever there was a time for them to actually sing a rousing puirt a beul, this is it.
Some of the choppy elements work well. Oighrig and Leagsaidh seed their chat with Gaelic in a way that feels organic and does not annoy the non-speakers in the audience. But the poorly handled gear change reduces the dramatic impact of the ending.
Righ Iasgair: The Fisher King performs at Oran Mor’s A Play, A Pie and A Pint until October 25, 2025. It then transfers to the Traverse Theatre from October 28 - November 1, 2025.
Photo by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
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