HIGH SPIRITS

In my previous blog, The Grain of An Idea, I wrote about the unearthly voices that whirled around a new distillery somewhere on an island off the west coast of Scotland. The idea of High Spirits lingered in my mind until it became a full-blown story, the first in An Ayrshire Trilogy.

It’s the story of a young woman who returns reluctantly to the place where she was brought up. She has yet to realise that she has been summoned for a purpose. The story is inspired (as are some of my other plays) by the beautiful land and seascapes of this part of Scotland, where the changing light and weather provide inspiration for artists, and frustration (when it rains) for gardeners, golfers and walkers.

When I wrote the play, we were living in hope that the end of lockdown would come, and that our previously taken-for-granted freedoms would return. But, I wondered, what if some things never came back that we also took for granted — like springtime?

The Isle of Donan is a fictional place, closely based on a real island off the west coast of Scotland. When it suits me, though, I ascribe customs and attributes to Donan from other real islands — such cavalier borrowings are the privilege of the fiction writer…

A full-length song was written for the play: Face Fear, composed by Gregor Keachie. When I first heard Gregor’s idea for the song, I knew it was perfectly suited to the story of Breagh and Elsa. It seemed appropriate, too, as we all emerged warily from the pandemic of 2020-21. Even if you’ve heard it, listen again to this inspiring music, beautifully performed by Rachel Hair, Ron Jappy, Kerri Rolland and Christy Scott. Find out more about all their creative talents here