Kin is one of those rare, precious shows that could only ever be found at the Fringe. A multimedia production combining photographs, films, spoken word, storytelling and live, distinctive musical compositions, Kin is a unique and mesmerising experience.
Renowned fiddle player Duncan Chisholm tells the stories and illustrates the culture of the Highlands through spoken word and film, sourcing his narrative directly from the mouths of his own ancestors and the ancestors of those who now inhabit the Highlands. By composing music inspired by such raw and visceral memory, Chisholm succeeds in creating a modern series of pieces infused with nostalgia and beauty.
Whilst the tone of the production is certainly wistful, Chisholm refrains from presenting an idyllic or bucolic vision of the Highlands and in this way Kin functions as both a piece of art and a work of reportage.
During this thought-provoking and melancholy production, the audience is taken around the remote lands of Glen Affric in the Highlands to South Uist in the Western Isles and around the very edges of Scotland.
Kin exposes a lost world of agriculture and hard living, a world with its own culture and traditions. This is aptly illustrated by tales told in Gaelic, giving the audience an insight into the oral tradition passed on by those living in the Glens.
The focus of the show is on the wild, pared-back musical compositions of Chisholm and his two other band members. The use of simple piano and resonant acoustic guitar alongside the fiddle acts as an excellent aural compliment to the multimedia background: a fusion of contemporary instrumental music and timeworn traditional art.
A thoughtful and intelligent production, Kin is a blend of historical documentary, folk music and multimedia art that has its audience mulling over its miasmic themes for hours afterwards.
