10/10/24

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

If ever I were asked to compile a list of ‘unlikely ideas for a musical,’ the story of the Brent Spar oil rig might well up there towards the top. How could such a tricky subject, set in such a obscure location, ever be convincingly staged? Well, this rousing production, written and directed by Isla Cowan and Andy McGregor is an object lesson in how to make such a venture work – a heartfelt polemic, for sure, but a supremely entertaining sung-through musical at the same time. And you don’t have to be a committed activist to appreciate the importance of what happened back in 1995 – and to realise that not enough has changed since then.

Many will remember the story of the decommissioned Brent Spar, which (largely as a cost-cutting exercise) was scheduled to be blown to bits by its owners, Shell, before being consigned to the depths of the North Atlantic, where it would cause untold damage to the ecosystem. But the company’s plans came to the attention of a team of Greenpeace activists, who sailed out from Shetland, climbed aboard the rig and steadfastly refused to leave, even after being repeatedly blasted by water cannon.

In this version of events, the names of the protagonists have been changed. Team leader Karl (Matthew McKenna) is driven by his desire to do the right thing for the environment. He’s backed up four others: feisty rich girl, Engel (Katie Weir), whose parents made a lot of money from fossil fuels; student, Colin (Nathan French), who has impulsively abandoned his University studies in order to go on this mission; journalist with a conscience, Brianna (Kaylah Copeland), who has promised to do everything she can to bring this matter to the public’s attention; and stay-at-home mum, Rachel (Kara Swinney), taking a break from her domestic duties to make a stand for ‘something that matters.’

Together the disparate team sail out to the rig and prepare to face the opposition.

Meanwhile, a scheming triumvirate of Shell executives, Rupert (David Rankine), Karen (Helen Logan) and David (Ewan Somers), are determined to end the occupation as quickly as possible. This could cost them a lot of money! The trio are played as comic relief to the action, drawing up their dastardly plans almost in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan villains, romping around in a variety of costumes and occasionally breaking away to embody real life characters. Somers does a hilarious job of embodying John Major as (trust me) you’ve never seen him before, while Logan briefly dons a bald pate to impersonate German chancellor, Helmut Kohl.

Claire Halleran’s impressive set design convincingly evokes the rugged location and this is accentuated by Fraser Milroy’s sound and Simon Wilkinson’s lighting. The songs (also by Cowan and McGregor) are uniformly impressive, all majestic chords and soaring vocals. All the performers have impressive ranges and, when the five protestors join together in powerful harmony, the results are nothing short of spectacular. A scene where Rachel proudly proclaims the importance of her new-found role is particularly moving and I have to confess to having something in my eye by the time Swinney reaches the final chorus.

This is only at the Traverse for a couple more nights before moving on to tour a series of Scottish locations through October, finishing up in Inverness on November 2nd. If you can get seats, I urge you to make the effort. To Save the Sea is a deeply committed and ultimately moving piece of musical theatre with an important message to deliver.

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney