Maggie and the Song of the Sea is a play about love and loss, staged with vibrance and imagination at The Lowry’s temporary pop-up space The Roundabout.
Performed by the Colour of The Clouds theatre group, the plot tells of Maggie, a young girl who lives by the sea with her mother and grandfather.
Maggie hears songs and music in everything, from brushing her hair to her school books, but the best comes from the foaming waters outside her front door.
Grandad – played with nuance and style by Scott T Berry – shares his imagination with Maggie, taking her on adventures to Shingle Bay, fighting pirates and finding treasure, all from his living room, and much to the delight of the audience.
I anticipated where the plot was going, but it did not stop me from having to wipe the tears from my eyes when Grandad dies: not only does Maggie lose her playmate and best friend but she also loses the music in her head, which upsets her more than anything.
Her mother does her best to help but she is grieving too, which is the point of the play; that death touches everyone and the loss is often hard to bear.
Despite the tough subject matter, this play deals with it sensitively but also honestly. The play ends by delivering the message that time is a good healer and with time the music returns to Maggie.
Josie Cerise, who played Maggie, must have been in her early 20s but her acting was so impressive, I was utterly convinced that she was six years old. Samantha Vaughan as Maggie’s mother however lacked authenticity in the role.
While the script was a little turgid to begin with, such was the effective use of a very small number of props, stage space and lighting, Colour the Clouds did a smashing job and I urge everyone to see this play when it goes on tour next year.
