The Ferry, The Dog, and The Fading Folk – Drayton Arms Theatre, London

Writers: Amber Frances and Odhran Thomson

Director: Katie Jackson

Sometimes, the simplest stories can be the most affecting. There’s no set at all, just a bare stage within the black box at Drayton Arms Theatre. There are some Scottish folk tunes being piped through the rafters to set the scene and a woman emerges with an open, smiley face; a friendly geek in hiking trousers, fleece, and a rucksack. She opens with a number, ushering in the story, a sweet and pure song, almost angelic – her voice clear as a bell.

Part travelogue, part magical mystery tour, part supernatural odyssey, part voyage of discovery, this transfixing one-woman show, impressively commanded by Belgian performer, Amber Frances, is 60 minutes of escapism, adventure, and catharsis. Our protagonist, Jules has a warm, engaging persona and through her monologue, transports us to the Isle of Arran from her hometown of Glasgow where she meets all kinds of strange characters. But why is she going there? And what will she find?

There are clues, and slippages in the text that suggest Jules is running away from something, trying to forget something, or perhaps looking for something. She meets an old man with his dog on the ferry, who persuades her to go for a walk on a mountain with him. Jules does this – she has no plans. But when the dog runs off and there’s a wild storm, strange things start to happen, and chaos descends.

Using evocative text, physical theatre and pared-back direction, the audience hangs on to every word. But how reliable is our narrator? Is she having a breakdown? Is it her imagination that summons alluring sirens, lustful faeries, and greedy giants into existence? Or is she experiencing something supernatural and otherworldly? As well as being a story about confronting grief, The Ferry, The Dog, and the Fading Folk is a story about stories; why some myths and legends are preserved, why we need them and how they can help us to understand.

With subtle lighting shifts to frame shifting beats and emotional states, this is a classically constructed piece with a satisfying depth. There’s plenty of symbolism and sub-text in the rich, sensory text that sequentially delivers some killer lines. The atmospheric sound design by Cecilia Thoden van Velzen helps fill the empty space with magic and boundless possibility. Produced by Glass Moose Theatre, this is a thoughtful and rewarding piece, that contemplates “living fiercely” and how to find ourselves, we must lose ourselves first.

Runs until 22 February 2025