Written by Claire Love Wilson & Peter Lorenz

Directed by Peter Lorenz

Review by Dominic Corr

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Revisiting the history we thought we knew, or even one partially concealed brings together audiences from across oceans and generations and experiences in how familiar they can seem particularly with those in the past whose sexualities and queerness kept the truth from the stories handed down. With more than a song in its heart: carried through with an ambitious soundscape, and an intimately threaded and heartfelt expression of queerness, storytelling, and redemptive narrative, Claire Love Wilson’s (written with director Peter Lorenz) Morag, You’re a Long Time Deid is remarkably similar to the mid-show ceilidh it springs upon the audience: the steps might not entirely be in the right places; but by lord everyone involved is throwing themselves right into the action.

Inheriting their late grandmother Morag’s piano, Sam begins to chip away at the family’s hidden past—specifically, Morag’s concealed relationship and queer identity. A richly diverse and engaging premise; full of potential, in the exploration of Love Wilson’s concept is a powerful one which sparks an immediate connection with audiences – some more than others, gifting a voice to those silent for too long. Weaving back and forth between representing their grandmother, friends, lovers, parts of the family and themselves – Love Wilson maintains a central role as Sam, a heartfelt and genuine performance which channels curiosity with musicality and Scottish storytelling.

Crafting the score as they go, Love Wilson and co-performer and musical director Sally Zori strum, knock or hum into the on-stage sound set-up and feed it back, mixing it into the narrative and creating a continuous echo of what has been, returning for effect. It’s a rich soundscape, occasionally distracting or stepping out above the performances on stage, drowning the story out. When simplified, the production is a touching and well-structured production which places the music and queer truths of the past at the centre.

Elements of movement, incorporating a full-blown mid-performance ceilidh has a narrative purpose – and on select performances could work brilliantly, but the set-up and hesitation from the audience dampens the momentum and pushes the production into being a series of vignettes, rather than an entirely cohesive narrative. It becomes tricky to immerse into Morag or Sam’s story as the tone bounces and shifts, with too many styles of storytelling crowding the stage. Even with Zori’s charming presence and performance, the flow of it all feels surprisingly slow and stale for a show with such energy and passion.

There’s such a richness here though, that it becomes difficult not to be taken in by the central performances or Zori’s overall musical design – as experimental as it can be. There are too many avenues of innovation to hold the main story in the light it deserves, even with the unique devices offering engaging ideas of storytelling. What Morag, You’re A Long Time Died never loses though is its powerful and moving exploration of queer history and identity in Scotland and across the pond. It has heart, plenty of it, and a voice which needs some refinement.

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