one4review | On 30, Dec 2024

A delight! Joy to the eyes and music to your buccaneers.

The Lyceum Theatre has boldly charted new waters for its Christmas offering, eschewing the well-trodden path of pantomime in favour of an entertainingly inventive adaptation of Edinburgh native Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. And what a triumph it is.
The performance begins with a festive gathering of Edinburgh’s Society for Recently Reformed Pirates on Christmas Eve. Their rollicking tales of maritime adventure seamlessly transition into Stevenson’s iconic narrative,.
The journey unfurls as Jim Hawkins and company navigate treasure maps, assemble a treacherous crew, and brave the high (North) seas, with the Orkney Islands standing in for more exotic shores. Stevenson’s classic characters are all accounted for, albeit with playful twists: the tenacious Jim Hawkins, the eccentric Ben Gunn, and some delightful creative additions, including Lean Jean Silver and the Laird of Leith, who bring a local lilt to this well-loved tale.
The production’s pace is brisk, its energy infectious. The cast, playing their own instruments on stage, delivers a rousing mix of sea shanties—some classic, some newly composed—that underscore the swashbuckling spirit of the piece.
Visually, the show’s open stage and inventive lighting exemplify the magic of ingenuity, proving that imagination is the ultimate special effect.
The ensemble cast is superb, with particular kudos to Jade Chan, whose portrayal of Jim Hawkins is both spirited and endearing, and Amy Conachan, who brings charisma to Silver. But the undisputed scene-stealer is a certain puffin, a cunning substitution for the traditional parrot, brought to life with simple yet masterful puppetry that delights at every turn.
Ultimately, Treasure Island is clever without being overly self-aware, entertaining while heartfelt, and never veering into sentimentality.
In the end, you’re left with an immensely satisfying, funny, and engaging couple of hours that both kids and adults will adore.
Yo-ho-ho indeed!
****
Reviewed by Steve H
Royal Lyceum Theatre
28th December