The Scottish Play

Piper welcoming us onto a boat to take us to the Island.  Photo credit

I am happy to report that I did manage to attend one superfabulous event during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!  David and I went to see the Scottish Play on Inchcolm Island.  Roo?  I can hear you saying?  What is the Scottish Play?  It's that Shakespeare play that takes place in Scotland...you know, the one with the witches and Birnam Wood.  Apparently the name of the play is cursed.  Actually, I think saying the name of the play is only cursed if you are an actor and you say it inside a theatre.  So here goes....

We went and saw Macbeth.  Ok, no lightening struck.  It must all be ok :)

While still on the boat, the audience witnesses the re-enactment of the battle with Norway. Photo credit

The best part of the play?  It was a walking play where you follow the actors around and we were all alone (the audience and actors) on Inchcolm Island with the beautiful ruined abbey as the stage.  And get this, Inchcolm island is actually mentioned in Macbeth:

Ross: From Fife, Great King:

Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky

And fan our people cold, Norway himself,

Assisted by that most disloyal traitor

The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict;

Till that Bellona's bridegroom, lapped in proof,

Confronted him with self-comparisons,

Point against point, rebellious arm against arm.

Curbing his lavish spirits; and to conclude

the victory fell on us.

Duncan:   Great Happiness!

Ross: That now Sweno, the Norway's King craves composition;

Nor would we deign him burial of his men

Till he disbursed at Saint Colme's Inch

Ten thousand dollars for our general use.

Photo credit

The play started in the evening and we took a lovely boat ride from a nearby port town to the island, it took about 40 minutes.  They handed out blankets and flashlights to everyone for us to use on the island (this is a Scottish summer after all).  The sun was just starting to set when we arrived.

I'm wearing my Ness jacket and Pendrell blouse

I definitely want to come back to the island.  It is so beautiful with such a long history.

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.  The witches on Inchcolm.

Inchcolm Abby provided the ideal backdrop for the welcoming of Duncan into Macbeth's castle, and the violent deeds that ensued.  

The cast was amazing. Caroline Ailsa Howitt as Lady Macbeth gave an impressive performance. Photo credit

Macbeth's 'stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires' was delivered to a darkening night sky, and the witches who stop Macbeth on a 'blasted hearth' are at one with the 'foul and fair' nature of Inchcolm Island.

Alexander Forsyth as Macbeth in the last act.  Photo credit.

As the last act ended it was indeed like '...a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more' as we descended back down the island in the dark to meet our boat for a quiet trip back to the mainland.

Inchcolm Abbey   Photo credit

Goodbye Inchcolm, '..when shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly 's done, When the battle 's lost and won'