The traditional Scottish myth of the selkie is given a fresh new bilingual twist by Emery Hunter and Bobby Bradley.
Instead of the remote Highlands, the tale is transported to a grimy, messy night out in Glasgow, where mythical creatures party into the wee small hours at an exclusive nightclub. When a human accidentally wanders in and has to beg a selkie to hide him from the bouncer, it sets off a chain of events that bring painful memories to the surface and unfinished business to settle.
The story is told in both English and BSL, with hard of hearing actor Emery conveying her meaning clearly even if the audience isn’t fluent in sign language. Bobby’s human character, too, gradually understands her requests (and insults!) as they wind their way through a vividly described Saturday night on Sauchiehall Street full of kebab-fuelled fights and drunk hen parties. The stage being littered with real city detritus like shopping trolleys and tyres grounds the show further in the chaotic human world.
Emery gives a sparkling, snappy performance as the selkie desperate to find home, a perfect foil to Bobby’s bumbling, awe-struck human. The latter takes on the many mortal and mythical characters they meet; I loved the unexpected beery incarnations of the Fates. But underneath the fun, there’s a serious examination of the power men hold over others, how tempting it is to abuse it and how making the right choice can be a struggle.
As the duo say themselves, d/Deaf representation at the Fringe is rarer than a selkie sighting, so I recommend catching DREGS before it sinks beneath the Clyde again.
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