Fusion of Scottish and South Asian theatre comes to Oban

Hebridean Treasure blends Scottish and South Asian music and theatre with skilled Bharatanatyam dance to tell a universal and poignant story of suffering, exile, and the loss of age-old wisdom, set against the historic spiritual background of nineteenth century Scottish Isles and Gaelic pasts told through prayer and poem.

Originally inspired by The Wooster Group’s acclaimed 2014 piece ‘Early Shaker Spirituals’ and Alexander Carmichael’s 1832-1912 work ‘Carmina Gadelica’, Celtic scholar and author John Philip Newell’s writing meshes with critically-acclaimed composer and Gaelic singer Mischa Macpherson’s music and dancer Kirsten Newell’s soulful, sweeping dance performance to bring audiences a message of hope: a new way of life that cherishes and recaptures our Celtic and Gaelic cultural heritage. 

Lead performer Kirsten Newell said: “‘Hebridean Treasure: Lost & Found’ has really touched my soul; I have felt deeply connected to the prayers and poems of the western isles, which have long-reminded me of India’s sense of the sacred.”

She added: “It is a joy to take this production to Gaelic speaking Hebridean islands, where the story belongs, and to collaborate with such incredible musicians and artists throughout.”

Weaving in and out of a complex tapestry of ancestral grief, Hebridean Treasure draws comparisons between the ancient Vedic and Celtic cultures through songs in Gaelic, Tamil and Hindi, and the combination of Celtic and Carnatic music, to reflect on the relationships with and similarities between social and folk customs, mythology and traditional musical form.

Writer John Philip Newell said: “In dance, music, song, and story, this production offers a spiritual vision of Earth that can be part of our healing today.”

Hebridean Treasure: Lost & Found will be performed at the Corran Halls on Tuesday 17 September at 7:30 pm.