There is no better feeling than being on your feet in a jam-packed theatre singing Loch Lomond at the top of you lungs.
The closing scenes of The Stamping Ground are ones that will stay with every audience it meets.
From a heart wrenching monologue on the challenges facing real Highland communities to a stunning duet and a closing number that is nothing but joyous, the musical leaves you with thoughts on your mind and warmth in your heart.
Using the songs of Runrig, the musical tells a story drenched in love, life and the land.
Soaring harmonies
The Stamping Ground invites you into the tiny community of Glenbeg, where locals are fighting to keep their local pub.
When teenage sweethearts Euan and Annie return home seeking a fresh start for their teenage daughter Fiona, they soon find themselves lost in a once familiar place, now filled with more tourists than residents.
There is a lot packed into the two and a half hour running time, including a wedding, a funeral and bedazzled wellie boots.
Whether you are a Runrig fan or not, you can’t help but admire and melt into the songs – of which there are many – expertly arranged by John Kielty.
Its strengths are in its ensemble numbers, where harmonies soar and clever choreography feels natural.
Pride of the Summer and titular The Stamping Ground are heartwarming, The Old Boys and Hearts of Olden Glory are chilling in the best of ways.
In with the new
The musical, written by Morna Young and co-created by Eden Court and Raw Material, premiered in the Inverness venue last July.
It is fair to say it has matured like a fine wine – the story flows better this time around, the characters are better developed and the entire production smoother.
To anyone who saw the musical in its first run, the cast members who have made a second appearance are like old friends, and the new are welcome in the world of The Stamping Ground.
Naomi Stirrat is a standout in her role as Summer, full of character from the moment she steps on stage, drawing the audience in with equal wit and woe.
Any Balamory nostalgia was quickly banished as Juliet Cadzow plays the fiery – and boozy – Maggie, reducing the audience to tears of laughter on multiple occasions and bringing a new wave of energy to the production.
In the lead male role of Euan, Ali Watt’s vocals are arguably the most impressive in the musical, mixing an individual tone with traditional Scottish flair.
A sense of belonging
The smaller cast of The Stamping Ground – there are only around 10 people in it – helps to create a community, which is ultimately what it is trying to emphasise the importance of.
Band members are on stage at all times and one of the highlights is cast members, particularly Caitlin Forbes who plays Fiona, picking up their own instruments and getting involved.
The story is one of friendship, family, homecoming and belonging, and the chemistry between cast members brings the audience into it.
A stunning set, by Kenneth MacLeod, helps with this too, a stone monolith-like backdrop with a jagged line of light stretching around the stage. Whether you see this as a mountain range, a river, a vein or a root, it is a constant representation of the importance of place.
At times the script verges on preachy and the song links can be stretched, but us Scots can embrace a bit of cheese when it aims to celebrate the work of one of our own.
Whether you take the high road or the low road, let it lead you to see The Stamping Ground.
The Stamping Ground will be in Inverness until May 13 and Aberdeen between June 7 and 10. For more information, head to www.rawmaterialarts.com/stamping-ground.
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