Music: Tim Dalling
Lyrics: Tim Dalling
Writer: Robert Louis Stevenson
Adaptor: Duncan McLean
Director: Wils Wilson
Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure story is vividly brought to life in this energetic, funny and charming retelling. The decision to set the tale in Scotland gives the audience an entertaining twist on the familiar story, with our heroes setting out from Leith Docks to seek treasure in the Orkney Islands. The frame narrative is another quirky addition, with Lean Jean Silver (Amy Conachan) convincing Jim Hawkins (Jade Chan) to recount the adventure of Treasure Island to a group of inmates at Admiral Benbow’s Home for Reformed Pirates (Tim Dalling, TJ Holmes, Itxaso Moreno and Dylan Read) as they all prepare to celebrate Christmas. It’s an effective enough justification to make this into a festive-period show, even though only one musical number at the finale really pushes the Christmas angle.
The core of the story remains focused on the thrill of finding a treasure map, setting sail, exploring an unfamiliar island, and struggling against vicious pirates for survival and riches – and all these aspects are handled very well. Characters tell their tall tales with all the dramatic flair you might expect from seafaring folk, while the dynamic performances from the whole cast do a fantastic job of conveying the excitement and comedy of the main adventure.
Jim Hawkins’ youthful exuberance could win over even the hardest of hearts, and Chan balances this wonderfully with a dawning wariness about the perils of following the treasure map. Lean Jean Silver makes a great foil for Jim, with her charisma and brutal pragmatism both getting a good amount of time in the spotlight. Conachan is perfect for the role and it’s refreshing to see this iconic disabled character reimagined as a female wheelchair user without any fuss about it.
There’s no doubt that this is an ensemble piece, as the main cast are almost constantly onstage throughout – though they skilfully switch from playing musical instruments to comedic stage business to taking on bigger roles in the story as needed. Moreno makes a fantastic swaggering, gruff Billy Bones while Holmes gleefully takes on the unworldly silliness of the Laird of Leith, Dalling pulls off the eccentric but earnest Ben Gunn, and Read nails the playful comic role of the Puffin with excellent puppetry skills. (While Long John Silver may be known for his parrot companion, Lean Jean Silver prefers a puffin.)
The versatile set is used to great effect as ladders, trapdoors and ropes are repurposed to serve as an inn, a bustling port, the deck of the Hispaniola, the raging ocean during a storm, and of course the island itself. One particularly imaginative scene sees the performers repurpose the cups and saucers from their interval tea break to portray the wildlife that Jim sees while exploring the island after arriving on his jolly boat (represented by a tea trolley).
The lighting design goes a long way to creating the shifts in atmosphere as our protagonists move from place to place, and the original background music helps to build the mood. The original songs are engaging and will doubtless capture the attention of younger audience members, but aside from a few highlights they probably won’t get stuck in your head for long and the lyrics aren’t that memorable. Conachan definitely has the strongest singing voice of the cast, which is shown off to best effect in Lean Jean Silver’s enticing “Come On Board, Me Hearties”. Likewise, Chan hits the high notes nicely in Jim Hawkin’s lament “On An Island In The Sea” and the whole cast ends the show on a joyful note with “Merry Puffin Christmas”. Overall, the show’s musical numbers comfortably meet expectations.
The area where Treasure Island shines is its comedy, with jokes for all ages peppered throughout the script and excellent delivery from the whole cast. There are some well-played visual gags, which should appeal to younger audience members for whom a few of the adult-oriented jokes might not land. There are plenty of playful phrases to leave everyone chuckling, and adults will appreciate the wealthy Laird of Leith’s obliviousness as he unashamedly announces his intention to take all the treasure and put it in his bank account while “you loyal fellows [the crew] will be paid minimum wage and given a hearty handshake of thanks!”
In conclusion, this show has a lot to recommend it and will make for a very enjoyable winter evening’s entertainment for adults and children alike.
Runs until 4 January 2025 | Image: Jess Shurte
The Reviews Hub
Swashbuckling pirate adventure
