A spellbinding tale of selkies comes to Lakeside Arts...
Alan Blundell
Like the power of the ocean itself, Sealskin lunges into action from the first moment, pulling the audience into its tide. It is a visual and sensory feast — projections shimmer across the stage like waves, live vocals and guitars wash through the air, and a diverse cast embodies each role with precision and passion.
From the outset, the stakes are high. We are plunged into a world divided: the selkies of the sea versus the fisherfolk of the land.
Under the light of a full moon, as the selkies shed their skins to dance and celebrate on the shore, a fisherman spies them not as enemies, but as something alluring, mysterious and irresistible. When he steals a selkie’s skin, she is trapped on land, unable to return to her family beneath the waves. He “rescues” her, but what follows is a haunting exploration of captivity disguised as love.
At its core, Sealskin is a story about displacement, about what it means to be a refugee. Unable to return home and yet never truly accepted where you are, stripped of your identity and made vulnerable. The production’s culturally diverse cast and the use of multiple dialects powerfully heighten this sense of alienation, allowing us to see the world through the selkie’s eyes — unfamiliar, uncertain and painfully beautiful.
And, as in many tales of forbidden divides, love grows in unexpected places. Between the fisherman and the selkie, we witness both tenderness and tension, an intimacy steeped in dependency and difference. The onstage chemistry between Faye McCutheon (Selkie) and Samuel Duran (Fisherman) is magnetic. Through dance — a language belonging only to them — they communicate longing, conflict and grief. As the story unfolds, their bond evolves into marriage and parenthood, yet it is shadowed by loss of identity. The selkie’s transformation mirrors the experience of many refugees, who must abandon their own culture and faith in order to survive.
To some, this is a miracle; to others, an abomination
Tmesis Theatre proves how much can be achieved with minimalist means. Their imaginative use of projections cast across fabrics of shifting shapes and sizes brings the ocean to life so vividly you can almost feel its spray. The fabric itself becomes a living presence: transforming from sea to net, to stained-glass window, to wedding dress. It’s a masterclass in theatrical illusion and emotional symbolism.
The play’s emotional core deepens when the selkie gives birth to a child: half human, half selkie. To some, this is a miracle; to others, an abomination. The decision to render the child as a plastic puppet is a masterstroke by Artistic Director, Elinor Randle. It’s a poignant symbol of what remains of the ocean today, beauty and innocence suffocated by pollution. Handled with exquisite care by the ensemble, the puppet feels entirely alive: growing, ageing, transforming before our eyes.
In the final moments, the child uncovers a truth that allows her mother’s freedom, but her own fate remains uncertain. Did she return to the sea? Was she left behind? The ambiguity feels purposeful, echoing the reality of countless displaced children today, their lives and futures lost to the tides of war, politics and climate crisis.
When the lights dimmed, the audience erupted in applause. Not with raucous cheers, but celebrating with the call of the Selkie, a sign that the show had succeeded in what few manage: it made us part of its story.
Sealskin played at Lakeside Arts on Saturday 11 Otober 2025.
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