The Stornoway Way by Kevin MacNeil
in association with An Lanntair
The Stornoway Way by Kevin MacNeil
Original songs by Willie Campbell, Kevin MacNeil & Colin Macleod
Cast
Naomi Stirrat Roman Stornoway
Rachel Kennedy Eilidh, Captain Moses, The Rev
Chloe-Ann Tylor Eva, Dead Geoff, Doctor Gloag
Director Matthew Zajac
Set and Costume Design Ali Maclaurin
Musical Direction & Sound Design Pippa Murphy
Lighting Design Andrew Wilson
Video Jim Hope
Video Graphics Ged Yeats
Video Programming Colin Murray
Production Manager Andrew Wilson
Stage Manager Katie Stephen
Publicity photography Laurence Winram
Graphic Design Emma Quinn
Production photography Leila Angus
Rehearsal Photography Andrew Wilson
Set Construction Big House Productions
Producers Donna Macrae & Matthew Zajac
Assistant Producer Lara McDonald
Press Liz Smith
Social Media Katie Mackenzie
The Stornoway Way premiered at An Lanntair, Stornoway on August 30th 2019. The play was developed at An Lanntair in March 2019 with actors
Ashley Smith, Rachel Kennedy & Miriam Elwell-Sutton.
“Naomi Stirrat delivering a disturbingly powerful and moving performance as Roman, often expressed through fine songs”. Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman
“Dogstar have, once again, proved to be the hymnal to the Highlands onstage. I loved so much of this … I cannot wait to see Dogstar out again.” Donald Stewart, Fringe Review
“Naomi Stirrat …utterly believable… Rachel Kennedy as Eilidh and Chloe-Ann Tylor as Eva also managing to bring an entire community to life… the figure of the roaring boy roistering his way through life…becomes a damning illustration of a culture willing to embrace such iconography…” Neil Cooper, The Herald
“A script that’s gloriously not afraid of its innate theatricality… There is much to enjoy here.” Paul F. Cockburn, Broadway World
“As an ensemble, they tick like a Swiss watch, darting here and there without missing a beat. And they can’t half belt out a tune… MacNeil’s play is at least as good as his novel, and the novel was very good indeed.” Michael Russell, West Highland Free Press
“A hit…went down a storm with the audience… puts life for some in the Western Isles in the spotlight in a brutally honest, but often amusing way.” Susan Welsh, Press & Journal
“LOVE, whisky, self-destruction, Lewis, jokes, songs, writer Kevin MacNeil’s zen wisdom, all wrapped up with an ace cast…an absorbing drama – that’s The Stornoway Way.” Margaret Chrystall, Inverness Courier
Director’s Note
Dogstar’s plays often portray characters in extremis, whether at the mercy of the forces of climate change in Let’s Inherit The Earth (2018), of war in The Sky Is Safe (2017) and The Tailor of Inverness (2008-19), of unscrupulous medical authorities and big pharma in Factor 9 (2014 with a planned revival in 2020). Most of the company’s output has also given voice to writers from the north of Scotland. The Stornoway Way, combines both of these strands. Kevin has given us a rich and provocative portrayal of the culture of Lewis and an unflinching expression of the impact of alcohol addiction on young people. Roman Stornoway and his best friend Eilidh, while fictional characters, are archetypes of disaffected Highland youth, frustrated by limited opportunities, both in love with their home and kicking against it, torn by the lure of the possibilities presented by migration to the cities. These are issues which continue to afflict the Highlands & Islands, occasionally leading to tragic results.
But this play is more than a tragedy. It is vibrant and hopeful amid the sadness, full of music, wit and poetry. Its appeal to the heart as well as the head is unapologetic. It has been a pleasure to work with Kevin, our brilliant young actors and a wonderful team to bring The Stornoway Way to the stage.
Matthew Zajac
Writer’s note
I’ve probably had more messages from readers about The Stornoway Way than any of my other books: messages that are raw, heartfelt, humbling. They usually relate to finding in literature a way to understand individuals, thoughts, events, experiences.
The relationship between fiction and real-life is a fascinating one. Taking inspiration from something Picasso said about art, I believe that novels offer lies that reveal bigger truths. Some people didn’t want to believe that such a Stornoway could exist, others wanted to read the novel like a work of (auto)biography. What I wanted to do was write a book that was a kind of antidote to the persistent ‘othering’ of island culture.
The book’s higher profile reviews were very positive. I think people found it refreshing to read a contemporary novel that offered an unflinching, self-deprecating version of island life. But it is just that - one version. Place and character necessarily being in flux, no novel can legitimately be described as definitive. I could just as well have written a book about the very, very many advantages of Scottish island life - the genuine sense of community, the safety and trust that underpin daily life, the priceless cultural heritage, the warmth, generosity and thoughtfulness that typify islanders, and so on.
When Dogstar approached me with this commission, I relished the opportunity to revisit the narrative. Novels and plays are quite different works of art. The adaptations to stage or screen that founder are often the ones that fail to appreciate this vital truth. I decided this project would only be worthwhile if I could improve on the original book. The novel is narrated through a relatively narrow, first-person singular point of view and writing this theatre piece meant I could allow the other characters room to breathe, deepen and develop. I was also able to employ a multiplicity of voices to represent different attitudes - even contradictory ones.
At the same time as I wrote the book of The Stornoway Way I started composing songs with Willie Campbell, and it seemed a natural (and exciting) decision to include songs in the play. Willie and I more recently co-wrote a number of songs with fellow islander Colin Macleod, and these, too, feature in the drama.
Adapting the book for the stage has been a most enjoyable process. I think we have a terrific team. I am grateful to them and, of course, to my friends at An Lanntair, the University of Stirling, and throughout the Scottish writing community for their continued support.
Above all, I hope you enjoy the play.
Kevin MacNeil
SCOTTISH TOUR 2019
An Lanntair Stornoway
Brunton Theatre Musselburgh
Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy
Eastwood Park Theatre Giffnock
Cottiers Theatre Glasgow
The Studio, Potterrow Edinburgh
Howden Park Arts Centre Livingston
Beacon Arts Centre Greenock
Eastgate Theatre Peebles
MacRobert Arts Centre Stirling
Birnam Arts
Portgordon Village Hall
Gairloch Community Hall
SEALL at Sabhal Mor Ostaig Skye
Eden Court Theatre Inverness
Latheron Hall Caithness
Reay Village Hall Caithness
Dogstar’s plays often portray characters in extremis, whether at the mercy of the forces of climate change in Let’s Inherit The Earth (2018), of war in The Sky Is Safe (2017) and The Tailor of Inverness (2008-19), of unscrupulous medical authorities and big pharma in Factor 9 (2014 with a planned revival in 2020). Most of the company’s output has also given voice to writers from the north of Scotland. The Stornoway Way, combines both of these strands. Kevin has given us a rich and provocative portrayal of the culture of Lewis and an unflinching expression of the impact of alcohol addiction on young people. Roman Stornoway and his best friend Eilidh, while fictional characters, are archetypes of disaffected Highland youth, frustrated by limited opportunities, both in love with their home and kicking against it, torn by the lure of the possibilities presented by migration to the cities. These are issues which continue to afflict the Highlands & Islands, occasionally leading to tragic results.
But this play is more than a tragedy. It is vibrant and hopeful amid the sadness, full of music, wit and poetry. Its appeal to the heart as well as the head is unapologetic. It has been a pleasure to work with Kevin, our brilliant young actors and a wonderful team to bring The Stornoway Way to the stage.
Matthew Zajac
Writer’s note
I’ve probably had more messages from readers about The Stornoway Way than any of my other books: messages that are raw, heartfelt, humbling. They usually relate to finding in literature a way to understand individuals, thoughts, events, experiences.
The relationship between fiction and real-life is a fascinating one. Taking inspiration from something Picasso said about art, I believe that novels offer lies that reveal bigger truths. Some people didn’t want to believe that such a Stornoway could exist, others wanted to read the novel like a work of (auto)biography. What I wanted to do was write a book that was a kind of antidote to the persistent ‘othering’ of island culture.
The book’s higher profile reviews were very positive. I think people found it refreshing to read a contemporary novel that offered an unflinching, self-deprecating version of island life. But it is just that - one version. Place and character necessarily being in flux, no novel can legitimately be described as definitive. I could just as well have written a book about the very, very many advantages of Scottish island life - the genuine sense of community, the safety and trust that underpin daily life, the priceless cultural heritage, the warmth, generosity and thoughtfulness that typify islanders, and so on.
When Dogstar approached me with this commission, I relished the opportunity to revisit the narrative. Novels and plays are quite different works of art. The adaptations to stage or screen that founder are often the ones that fail to appreciate this vital truth. I decided this project would only be worthwhile if I could improve on the original book. The novel is narrated through a relatively narrow, first-person singular point of view and writing this theatre piece meant I could allow the other characters room to breathe, deepen and develop. I was also able to employ a multiplicity of voices to represent different attitudes - even contradictory ones.
At the same time as I wrote the book of The Stornoway Way I started composing songs with Willie Campbell, and it seemed a natural (and exciting) decision to include songs in the play. Willie and I more recently co-wrote a number of songs with fellow islander Colin Macleod, and these, too, feature in the drama.
Adapting the book for the stage has been a most enjoyable process. I think we have a terrific team. I am grateful to them and, of course, to my friends at An Lanntair, the University of Stirling, and throughout the Scottish writing community for their continued support.
Above all, I hope you enjoy the play.
Kevin MacNeil
SCOTTISH TOUR 2019
An Lanntair Stornoway
Brunton Theatre Musselburgh
Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy
Eastwood Park Theatre Giffnock
Cottiers Theatre Glasgow
The Studio, Potterrow Edinburgh
Howden Park Arts Centre Livingston
Beacon Arts Centre Greenock
Eastgate Theatre Peebles
MacRobert Arts Centre Stirling
Birnam Arts
Portgordon Village Hall
Gairloch Community Hall
SEALL at Sabhal Mor Ostaig Skye
Eden Court Theatre Inverness
Latheron Hall Caithness
Reay Village Hall Caithness
