It’s a cold winter night here in Edinburgh as well as in Duncan McLean’s adaptation of Treasure Island – the defining classic pirate story of searching for gold written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and published in 1883, currently running in Lyceum Theatre with the support of National Theatre’s Generate programme.
While McLean’s decision to move the premise from the Caribbean to Orkney Islands is an inspired tribute to Stevenson’s background, the story of Jim Hawkins who sets out on an adventure in search of a treasure stays largely the same, save for a few location references. Here, we start at North Edinburgh’s house for reformed pirates where rules get broken for a day and we’re told the story of the retired group and their biggest ever voyage – the hunt for Captain Flint’s hidden fortune.
Jade Chan is a confident lead that takes us through the story as Jim who leaves on adventure in a questionable company of pirates in disguise and unsuspecting Laird of Leith played by the hilarious TJ Holmes who unquestionably steals the show whenever on stage. The only character able to outshine Holmes is Puffin, brought to life by Dylan Read and the actor’s magnificent skills at sound effects. And while Amy Conachan, Tim Dalling and Itxaso Moreno all give their characters a fun and individual spin, it does feel like they wait in line for their turn and aren’t given a chance to work as a whole.
There is a lot happening here as actors, quite literally, run around the stage surrounded by an expansive set which looks to be way more dangerous than the pirates. While Alex Berry’s vision is impressive, it doesn’t make up for the uneasiness I feel watching performers try and balance their weight on a chair set up on a ladder or getting their costume stuck while singing and dancing to songs that feel a bit more like an experimental jazz session than expected sea shanties. It’s clear that Wils Wilson had a colourful and energetic idea for the show but just like the pirates searching for that X, I struggled to find the treasure amidst the chaos.
Treasure Island is running at Lyceum Theatre until 4th January 2025