An simple and compelling look into past.
Richard MacLean Smith brings his podcast Unexplained to the Edinburgh Fringe in a live demonstration of his considerable storytelling prowess. Turning his attention to the enduring mystery of the Flannan Isles, Smith meticulously revisits the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers whose fate has perplexed generations. When the men vanished one night in December 1900, they left behind little evidence and an abundance of questions. Was it a rogue wave? An accident? Foul play? Something altogether stranger? More than a century later, we may never know.
And therein lies the point. In this performance, it is not the promise of an answer that matters, but the opportunity to engage with a story that could otherwise be gradually forgotten. Some of those connected to the mystery have already been lost to history, but Smith takes care to restore their humanity, painstakingly naming every person known to have been involved. He smooths out the overlooked creases in the story, resisting the temptation to reduce these men to mere characters in a mystery and instead reminding us that they were real people whose lives extended beyond the circumstances of their disappearance.
This is an elegantly simple performance. Smith stands alone onstage, relying almost entirely on the power of his voice, with sparse musical accompaniment providing an atmospheric backdrop. In the darkness of the theatre, there is something almost unsettlingly soothing about listening to this haunting account, particularly when performed only a short distance from the waters where the men disappeared.
Smith also wisely avoids the sensationalism and theatrical fanfare that can sometimes accompany contemporary true-crime and mystery storytelling. There are no cheap shocks, exaggerated revelations, or attempts to manufacture an answer where none exists. Instead, this is a reverent and respectful hour of spoken-word storytelling, allowing the mystery to remain a mystery.
You may leave with more questions than answers, but that feels entirely appropriate. Unexplained is ultimately less interested in solving the Flannan Isles mystery than in examining our fascination with the unknown and in reminding us of the harsh, unforgiving realities of a way of life that modern technology has largely left behind. It is an atmospheric, thoughtful and quietly compelling hour of storytelling.
Show Listing: https://www.edfringe.com/
LISTINGS INFORMATION:
Venue: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – Theatre 3
Dates: Aug 7th -29th (Exc. 16th& 23rd)
Time: 22:05 (50 mins)
Ticket prices: £14.00/ Concession £11.50 / Family £11.50 / Disabled £10.50 / Unemployed £10.50
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 12+