George Mackay Brown Evening - Two Short Plays

Thurso Players’ George Mackay Brown Evening consists of two of his short stories and some poems which have been adapted into two drama scripts by Christina Doake. Both plays concern men who are alone and troubled due to something which happened in their past. The plots demonstrate the community dealing with, or supporting, them and draws sympathy for the central characters while acknowledging an element of self-blame as the root of their suffering. The plays invite thought and discussion as both deal with very human experiences and familiar emotions of love, regret, responsibility and compassion. As the plays are short, it is hoped that the audience will use the interval and the end of the performances to consider and talk about what they have seen. An early decision was made not to attempt Orkney accents but to direct the attention to the human situation, while still evoking the words and location of Orkney.