6th July 2006

Gigha

Gigha tonight and our first ferry of the tour. We arrive in excellent time to get across on the 1 pm boat to discover there isn’t, nor probably has ever been a 1pm ferry. Quick interlude of kite flying, football, badminton and music follows – then lunch in a hotel at the top of the road. 2pm ferry and two new digital cameras on board so lots of videos and shots of actors leaping about…..

Gigha is owned by the community who bought out the island a few years ago. Birds of Paradise performed here last year with Brazil 12 Scotland 0 and it is great to be back in this special place. We are staying in what used to be the “Big House” – well, it still is a big house, but no longer the home of the landowner. Instead it is Don who lives here now and who gives us a quick (ish) tour of his beautiful home (there’s a lot of rooms to see – and a lot of flower essences to be explained……..). We head off for food at the friendly shop and then EJ and I head back to the house …we catch up with the everyone at the venue ( a lovely hall along a wee path) to find the other actors asleep. Why rest in your beautiful white-sheeted peaceful expansive bedrooms when you can crash out on rows of chairs in a community hall whilst a get-in goes on around you?

The audience are great and it is good to have Gerry here again- who hasn’t seen the play since Glasgow. Less good to hear there’s been no midges all week until tonight and we’ve chosen the worst corner outside to be…..
There’s a raffle and a chat about Birds being here last year and the drama group in Gigha and John Martin (instrumental in the buy-out) brings out a bottle of red and an invite to the pub.

Back at the house after a few drinks we play snooker and treat the lucky Don to a wonderful signed version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” (which I’m not sure he appreciated). It is Liam’s last night with us and a handover to James. It’s a late night and a wonderful breakfast before we head off with some fresh lobsters and crabs scuttling about in the back of the van.

I’ll leave the final word to Vi Tulloch – the octogenarian we met last year:

Max (the character played by Stevie) waylays the audience in scene three and tries to sell a potion to the gentlemen to cure them of all ills (especially loss of libido..)

Max: “…loss of appetite? Listlessness? Listlessness?”

Vi: (loudly, from the back of the audience) : “We’re not listless, we’re from Gigha”

And they’re not.