Keepers of the Light

, Stromness Town Hall

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Keepers of the Light is the debut play by emerging playwright, Izzy Gray which has been touring Scotland in collaboration with Between Islands & Visit Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.

December, 1900.

Three keepers disappear from their post on the Flannan Isles lighthouse, 20 miles west of the Outer Hebrides.

What happened to the men has never been answered and becomes the talking point for three technicians who find themselves stranded on the remote station. Join Davie, Alec and Mac as they delve into the mystery and step into the shoes of the missing keepers. Follow them as they navigate the choppy seas of speculation, myth and folklore, and as they ponder the unfathomable question; “what could cause three men to vanish into the night?”.

Some stones, of course, are best left unturned...

Written and directed by one of Orkney's own, Izzy Gray, Keepers of the Light is inspired by her late grandfather’s profession, the play brings together worlds of old and new. From the lamplit turn of the 20th Century to the present age of automation, it asks whether men today can really fathom what life must have been like as a keeper 100 years ago, in a time before radio communication and with only their colleagues and the sound of the night’s sea for company.

The play takes us through the various theories that have emerged over the years as to the missing keepers’ fate. Could the men have succumbed to a tragic accident? Did something more sinister happen? Is there more to this mysterious island than meets the eye?

As speculation grows amongst our characters, they find themselves led into dangerous waters, and the audience begin to see the perils of what it means to be part of a story and remembered only through the words of others.

While answers might not be found, the audience will be taken on a voyage, coloured both with tales of remembrance and conjecture, and with equal lashings of humour and suspense.

The opening weekend of the play saw sold out performances in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, receiving four and five star reviews. It comes to Stromness Town Hall on Saturday 21st May at 7pm. Tickets are available in advance from Sinclair Office Supplies and online, priced at £12/10. There's a suggested age suitability of 12+ due to strong language and mild threat, and the performance will contain the use of haze and strobe lighting.