ED2015 3/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

Eating Seals And Seagulls’ Eggs (Little Wolf Productions)

By Patrick Galbraith | Published on Tuesday 18 August 2015

Like Yeats and Joyce, Pheig Sayers is a literary figure of huge cultural significance. Disappointingly, Caitríona Ní Mhurchú’s aesthetic reimagining of the folklorist’s life is deeply frustrating. On one level, it asks fascinating questions about Gaelic as a shibboleth and about Irish national identity, but the narrative is incongruous and collapses into incoherence. As a young Pheig, Mhurchú is excellent, creating a captivating spirit of earthy romance, while Adam Gibney’s set design is absorbingly atmospheric. Projected black and white visuals, depicting island life on Great Blasket, flicker hauntingly on the back wall of the stage. But despite moments of wonder, this philosophical piece is not a success. ‘Eating Seals and Seagulls’ Eggs’ plods along far too slowly and stumbles into confusion.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Patrick Galbraith]