The Pickle Studio holds an audience of only about 25, a classic Fringe venue made of little more than a few curtains and some rudimentary stage lights. Ava (Ailsa Shepherd) takes to the tiny two metre stage ready to weave a tapestry of imagery for the audience which will make you forget your knees are knocking against the seat in front of you. Shepherd is visiting Banff from London to pack up her Grannie’s cottage. Near the beginning of the play she asks the audience “can you eat four day old shortbread?” before helping herself to a piece her Granny made just days ago, before she died, setting a playfully dark tone for the rest of the show.

Though bathed in the ever present spectre of loss, this is not a mournful play. It is a bittersweet but hopeful retelling of various Scots folk tales, framed as dearly beloved memories of childhood. Beira, Queen of Winter tells of how she created this land in an evocative piece of poetry chock full of creative and amusing imagery, referring to the rains Scotland is so famous for as “I turned the sky into a tap and left it running.”

A young Selkie tells of her youthful escapades, curiosity emboldening her to leave the water and bide with humans, the love she had for a man, and the tragedy that followed.

Finally, a mischievous Wisp crashes into her Grannie’s life, bringing chaos and excitement, blurring the lines between real life and folklore; a theme running throughout the piece.

This charming, sincere, and unflinchingly Scottish play is an excellent entry point for those curious about Scottish folklore, told emotively, from a woman’s perspective.

Fit Ye Sayin’ Quine? is at Greenside @ Riddle’s Court – Pickle Studio until Sat 17 Aug 2024 at 14:55