Across the Highlands this summer, the voices of local people are stepping into the spotlight in the most joyful and heartfelt way.
Eden Court’s In On The Act is a powerful celebration of community, bringing together original performances shaped entirely by the stories, dreams and memories of Skye, Balmacara, Morvern and Lairg.
These are not touring shows dropped in from elsewhere.
They are living, breathing reflections of the places they were born from.
On Skye, composer Ailie Robertson has created 101 Ways to Live on Skye using the voices of more than one hundred residents aged from four to one hundred and three.
Woven with field recordings and live music from local talent including the Skye Wind Band, it captures the texture of life on the island with remarkable warmth and depth.
In Balmacara, artist Daniel Cullen joins local performers for Balmacara at Balmacara, a vibrant collection of live and recorded stories shared during the village’s Gala Day.
With performances scattered across the village and stories hidden in QR codes, it is a playful and thoughtful reflection on community, heritage and belonging.
In Morvern, animation, puppetry and music come together in The Sway of Morvern, led by artist Helen Woolston.
Locals have collaborated to explore the delicate balance between land, sea, weather and imagination in a poetic and dreamlike performance that captures the soul of this remote peninsula.
And in Lairg, David McNeish’s Welcome to Lairg invites audiences to celebrate the joys and challenges of life in the village through a rich evening of drama, music and film.
Based entirely on real conversations with residents, it is both touching and funny, offering an honest and loving portrait of community life.
What ties these four performances together is not just their quality, but the way they have been made.
Launched in 2024, In On The Act is about creative collaboration from the ground up.
Local people shared stories in workshops and conversations, and professional artists worked alongside them to bring those stories to life.
The result is art that feels genuine, generous and deeply connected.
The project is supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, which backs work that strengthens communities and supports creativity at every level.
For Eden Court’s Senior Producer Susannah Armitage, the process has been one of discovery and joy.
“These productions are genuinely rooted in the local communities and reflect the wealth of talent, creativity and vibrancy that exists in these four areas,” she says.
With performances taking place throughout May and June, this is a chance to witness theatre that listens as much as it speaks.
To book tickets and learn more, visit eden-court.co.uk/in-on-the-act
