EDINBURGH 2023: Review: EIGG THE MUSICAL, Greenside

There was very little advertising for Eigg the Musical and I only found out about its short run by chance, when searching the Edfringe website for something in an open time slot. Having spent some time on Eigg I was really keen to see its fascinating story take to the stage.

Except, this isn’t really the story of Eigg. In fact, it’s kind of the exact opposite. What is inspiring about the island and the people who live there is that they bought it in the 1990s. Eigg is self-sufficient and has its own sustainable energy resources. It’s a wonderful, welcoming place that has taken control of its land- so why does it not have control over its own story? 

Lord Skinnington is a pantomime villain who buys the Isle of Eigg and comes to the island with big landlord energy. An incredibly posh English man, he wants to take control over the people who live there. None of this is particularly clear why- he doesn’t seem to be determined to turn it into a tourist destination or build houses. During one particularly bizarre scene, he’s driving two French friends around the island who seem to be very much into his vague and non-specific evil scheme. He just stops short of actual moustache twirling. 

It’s a small cramped room with a cast of nine or ten plus three musicians. The musicians are the one element of this show I can’t fault, their playing was the only saving grace of this performance. There’s some intense choreography (largely ceilidh dancing) which feels like a health and safety risk in this space. There is no information available for cast and creatives and to be fair I wouldn’t want my name attached to this production either. 

The songs are largely forgettable apart from one which has stuck with me which is called something like “we drink all day”. The accents are a mish-mash and you can’t help but feel that the islanders are being made fun of and portrayed as idiotic drunks. They’re referred to as ‘hippies’. There is also a love story shoehorned in of two young people that met on the ferry over that is completely unnecessary.

The history portrayed in this show is inaccurate, the timeline for the buyout is incorrect as is the amount of money raised. There is a location on Eigg called the Massacre Cave where hundreds of people were smoked to death in the 1500s and this is reenacted with the performers donning cultish cloaks. It’s weird and tacky.

I don’t enjoy writing negative reviews and Eigg the Musical was actually listed as one of my top musicals I was looking forward to at the festival. The US-based creatives did ask the community for endorsement of the script and it was declined. I can see why.

The story of the Isle of Eigg definitely deserves to be told onstage but in a far more respectful and accurate way. 

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