he cast for Ferry Tales, the upcoming musical production set to pop-up on three of Scotland’s major ferry routes in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, and supported by Caledonian MacBrayne & their ferries, have been announced today.

Written by Isobel McArthur and directed by Lu Kemp, and featuring songs by Scottish folk singer Josie Duncan, Ferry Tales will draw inspiration from real community stories and experiences to create the short, immersive tales, told through storytelling and song by a three-strong ensemble of talented performers: MJ Deans, John Pfumojena, and David Rankine.

MJ Deans is a Glasgow-based actor and Gaelic speaker, who has previously starred in National Theatre of Scotland productions Rocket Post and Uisge Beatha gu Leòr/Whisky Galore. John Pfumojena is an actor and singer whose recent work has included appearing in the titular role in the National Theatre’s 2017 adaptation of Peter Pan, as well as critically-acclaimed Young Vic production The Jungle, which transferred to London’s West End in 2018. He has previously worked with the National Theatre of Scotland on the 2016 tour of I Am Thomas, a co-production with Told By An Idiot. David Rankine is an Aberdeen-born actor whose recent work has included Aladdin (Eden Court/ Imagine Theatre), HOWL[ing] (The Arches/ Traverse Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bard in the Botanics). Ferry Tales marks his debut with National Theatre of Scotland.

The production, which has drawn inspiration from the real stories of Scotland’s coastal communities, will bring an enchanting musical tale, told using English, Gaelic, and BSL (British Sign Language), to three of Scotland’s major ferry routes: Wemyss Bay to Rothesay, Ullapool to Stornoway and Oban to Craignure.

Ferry Tales will open on the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay route from 07 to 11 April, with three performances on different sailings per day. The following week it will arrive on the Oban to Craignure ferries from 14 – 18 April, with performances twice a day (three performances on 15 and 17 April) and finally on the Stornoway to Ullapool return route from 21 – 25 April, with one performance per day.

All performances are completely free for Calmac passengers, and full times for each sailing and performance can be found here.

Each performance will also feature a contribution from a cast of community performers from each area, which audiences will encounter in the harbours at Rothesay, Craignure, and Stornoway, where they will be welcomed and immersed in inspiring local tales.

Ferry Tales is supported by EventScotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 Events Fund, with the support of Caledonian MacBrayne & their ferries. Full information on the production can be found here.