News from the McLellan Arts team, as we go into week two of the festival:
Last Thursday and Friday saw the McLellan Arts Festival start with a bang with outstanding performances of Cicely Gill’s play Sail or Stay playing to packed enthusiastic audiences. They seemed to be thrilled by the set, characters and incidents as well as the quality of the acting and of the authentic music so ably performed by Angus Adamson and his fellow musicians.
Saturday saw three of the McLellan Poetry Competition winners read their poems at the Hollie McNish gig – a great night with performance poets, Michal Mullen and Hollie herself delighting the audience with their, often hilarious, but always deep insights on life.
The Festival continues this weekend on Friday 2nd September in the Community Theatre in Arran High School, Lamlash with Scozzesi, an exhilarating quartet of male opera singers at the top of their game and the poshest boy band you are likely to see. A great night for opera lovers and anyone who loves song.
On Saturday 3rd September in the community Theatre there will be an exciting performance of Hermia’s Dream which is a new interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream seen through the eyes of Hermia, one of the young lovers. This play, which also uses dance and movement is performed by talented students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. This performance is suitable for those 12 years and over.
Then in the Community Theatre on Sunday 4th September, there will be a performance of The Mozart Requiem, that glorious piece, conducted by Andrew Nunn, with soloists from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a McLellan Festival Chorus of local people and friends.
On Wednesday 7th September, in Corrie and Sannox Village Hall there will be a fascinating portrayal of Nan Shepherd, author of The Living Mountain. This will take the form of an animated, marginally off – beat lecture delivered by Erlend Clouston, a former Scottish correspondent of The Guardian who knew Nan for 35 years. It features the voices of, among others, Frankenstein, Jean Brodie, Robert Macfarlane and a parrot!
The final event of the McLellan Arts Festival will take place on Saturday 10th September at Brodick Hall and The Arran Heritage Museum – the fabulous Book Festival for children – Wee Mac, with many acclaimed writers including Carol Ann Duffy. All sessions are free with something for every age.