Treasure Island, Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh Review
Treasure Island production image. Photo by Jess Shur
Written by Jacqueline for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Treasure Island contains strobe and loud noises and runs for approximately two hours and 20 minutes.
Following the success of 2023’s The Snow Queen and 2022’s An Edinburgh Christmas Carol, this winter the Lyceum Theatre is home to the new production of Treasure Island. Treasure Island is an especially fitting production given Robert Louise Stevenson‘s heritage, and this production written by Duncan McLean and directed by Wils Wilson has even more of an Edinburgh twist than ever before.
Despite originally being published in 1883 and adapted countless times since then, Treasure Island continues to be a story that thrills theatre of all ages. This is a classic coming-of-age story about a young boy named Jim (Jade Chan) who acquires a map that he believes will lead to buried treasure. He encounters the Laird of Leith (TJ Holmes) who in turn recruits a team of swashbuckling pirates (Amy Conachan, Tim Darling, TJ Holmes, Itxaso Moreno and Dylan Read) to help on their journey to Orkney to find the buried treasure. Mutiny, sword fights and daring escapes are afoot as the crew set off on their adventure. The cast were small but mighty, and a particular mention must go to Amy Conachan as Lean Jean Silver who had a phenomenal stage presence and had the entire audience hooked and waiting to see her next move.
In terms of design, many of the productions at the Lyceum Theatre choose not to use backdrops for their productions, instead opting to fill their set with their cast members and multiple smaller set pieces. Though Alex Berry’s sets and costumes were skilfully designed to be eye-catching and fill the space efficiently, the lack of backdrops did at times mean the stage felt quite dark and gloomy. The set pieces could have been accentuated with some backdrops or lighting decisions to further emphasise the grandeur of the sea, or the anticipation of arriving on Treasure Island. Having said that, the scene towards the end of the first act where the weather took a turn for the worst was designed absolutely beautifully and was a strong highlight of the show.
Another interesting decision that this production made was the use of actor-musicians. The play uses music (composed by Tim Dalling) to great effect as a way to highlight particular moments of joy, camaraderie, or heartbreak. Furthermore, the use of puppetry in the show was very fun. The puppeteer was so skilled that at times it was hard to remember that you were watching a human and not a real life puffin!
Treasure Island at the Lyceum Theatre is a fun filled and swashbuckling adventure for the whole family, tied together neatly with a festive twist. If you’re looking for a theatrical production with a local twist and daring adventure, this is the show for you.
Treasure Island is at the Lyceum Theatre until January 4, 2025.
★★★★
