“Downstage Left” by Bill McFadden

At a Glance:

What: Highland Storm: The Maiden from the Sea

Where: College of Piping in Summerside

When Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm till Aug. 31

Synopsis: An ancient Celtic tale performed by students and faculty of The College of Piping.  An entertainment evening of piping, drumming, dancing and song.

Highland Storm: Worth Watching

As a professional actor, I have spent most summers performing rather than watching others do the same.  Consequently, I have seen little of others’ work.  Wednesday evening was my first outing to the College of Piping.  Had I known what they have to offer, I wouldn’t have put off the experience for so long.

With a combination of students and polished performers, the College offers a fast-paced, highly entertaining evening of piping, dancing, drumming and song.  All were excellent.  I particularly enjoyed the close attention the students paid to the lead drummer Jeremy White and the way they flawlessly followed his direction.

Kudos to the technical director Nick Maros for the imaginative way the mermaids came out of the sea.  This was made all the more haunting by the music of pipe and Cletic harp.  I have always loved the sound of the harp and Christine Anderson Gallant’s playing is aural beauty.  No wonder the harp played the central role in Celtic life.

The costumes were lovely and, with the exception of two audio glitches, the sound was crystal clear.  Special mention should also go to the solo piper, Nick vanOwerkerk for his fine work.

The village marriage ceremony at the end of Act One was very effective but I found myself wondering why the performers hadn’t acknowledged the wedding party.  This was addressed in the reprise of this moment in the second act after a passage of 17 years.  It was a nice theatrical contrast, showing the way the village had by now accepted the maiden into the life of the village.

What can be said of the heavenly voice of Patricia Murray that has not already been said?  I could have listened to her far into the evening.  In fact, the whole show left me wanting more.

I think the ending of Act One could be improved.  It has an unfinished look to it with the cast just wandering offstage.  Also, the seating in the theatre doesn’t lend itself to observing the footwork of the dancers.  All this lovely work from half way back looks just like bobbing bodies.  A higher stage or raked seating would help remedy this problem.

The noise backstage during “The Briar and the Rose” was annoying.  This is a common problem in student and amateur productions and should be addressed. 

“The Maiden of the Sea” tells the story of ‘The Grey Selkie’.  These myths   began as oral tradition and I wondered id a narration wouldn’t have been a nice addition.  In the promo material Scott MacAulay said the had dropped the narration from previous shows to focus on the skills in which the College excelled.  Perhaps ti was the lack of a proper narrator rather than the narration which was the problem.

The students are fortunate to have their own performance space.  It is when a performer has the opportunity to showcase what they have learned in the classroom that they make great strides as artists.

I would highly recommend this show as a lovely evening outing.  I believe all ages will enjoy this and that it offers families a good bang for their entertainment dollar.