Review: Outlying Islands, Jermyn Street Theatre

Sometimes you don’t need to know exactly what’s going on to enjoy a play, or indeed any art form. I’m a fan of the abstract and the surreal – anything that lifts a narrative above the humble task of straightforward storytelling – and often theatre can soar to its greatest heights when lifted on the wings of an unusual imagination. Jermyn Street Theatre’s new staging of David Greig’s 2002 play certainly contains elements of the unconventional, but does it achieve the required momentum to take flight?

Two young scientists, Edinburgh chap John and English chap Robert, arrive on a remote Scottish island on a mission from “the Ministry” to spend the summer observing and documenting the local wildfowl population. There’s no way of communicating with the mainland, and they’ll effectively be marooned on the island until the boat comes to collect them at the end of their stint.

Hosting the visitors are gruff Kirk, who holds the lease allowing him to graze sheep, and Kirk’s niece Ellen, who cooks puffin dinners (not too tasty, apparently) and exerts an allure over John and Robert.

We’re in the early 20^th century, and on top of the bird-watching mission, the island has been earmarked for an experimental bombardment of anthrax as some sort of military research ahead of a predicted conflict. So we have a mix of scientific curiosity, sexuality and man’s carelessness over nature – a pot of thematic ingredients with the potential to reveal something really interesting. 

As Robert, Bruce Langley exudes an edgy charisma which poses the tantalising question: is he just a standard fop, or someone moved by murkier urges? Fred Woodley Evans is rather slighter as John, but then the role is written as a blander part, and the actor is fresh out of RADA; given time and a meatier character, he could well shine. Kevin McMonagle is expertly chippy as Kirk, and put me in mind of the late Pete Postlethwaite in both appearance and presence. Ellen is probably the least familiar character, and Whitney Kehinde inhabits her with an appropriate blend of sensuality and mystique.

The action is played out in front of a gorgeous painted backdrop of the mountainous island. Anna Lewis’s set design beautifully evokes the internal cabin fever and the external scope of the location. The play is both satisfyingly intriguing and liberally garlanded with well-earned laughs. It’s a decent and proficient show, and those who’ve enjoyed previous productions of Outlying Islands (it was last staged at the King’s Head in 2019) will doubtless approve of this new version.

For me, the sum of the play’s interesting elements didn’t quite add up to the substantial pay-off I was hoping for. An early fatality and a later sex scene have a certain charge, but somehow the dramatic alchemy to create something thrilling and new just isn’t there. Greig’s occasional monologues don’t manage to summon the island’s ancient spirit in the way I suspect he was aiming for, and in the end I was left admiring a show that for all its powerful elements just doesn’t quite succeed in becoming airborne.

Written by: David Greig
Directed by: Jessica Lazar
Produced by: Gabriele Uboldi
Set & Costume design by: Anna Lewis
Lighting design by: David Doyle
Sound design by: Christopher Preece

Outlying Islands plays at Jermyn Street Theatre until 15th March.