The spirit of Leith is at the core of the character-driven drama titled Ships. The tension between struggle and beauty starts building from the first monologue. 

Struggle of class and race inequality, violence and loneliness on one side. Beauty of resilience and strength, and breeze from the sea that inspires ephemeral moments of hope (or escape?) on the other.

A moving play grounded in reality

This show is so strongly rooted in its local identity, that it became diegetic. The actors claimed the real bar of the venue as a stage for the bar in the story, just moments after I got served my real beer from the tap. 

This setup immediately blurred the line between what exists in the real world and what was born from imagination. And the many references to the neighbourhood landmarks made every punchline sting a bit more.
I’ve always thought that if the Banana Flats could speak (they would most likely shout), they would have endless stories to tell, so I was excited to find out that the writer of this play grew up there.

The physical proximity between the actors and the audience made the experience exceptionally intimate, but it also exposed the acting performances to greater scrutiny, making any forced expression stand out a bit more than on a conventional stage.

Complex past, intricate characters

The narrative sparks from the meeting of two lost souls that meet each other and in a moment of connection, they lower their protective armour and let themselves be seen.

Alex is a disillusioned woman with a sharp wit and a list of disappointing exes. Past troubles and unprocessed grief follow her around but she’s learned to act tough – on most days at least -, to make sure the people she protects are safe.

Connor is ‘as Scottish as a square sausage’ but since his Pakistani family origins, he was a victim of constant harassment from his peers which prevented him from developing a sense of belonging. His career as a seaman ended and now he just wants to numb his feelings and disappear.

Though they seem to have managed their struggles in opposite ways in the past (one pursuing intense emotions and the other attempting to numb himself) they share a profound sense of loneliness.

Through Connor, this show reveals a glimpse of Leith’s maritime history. He even shouts the historic motto of Leith mid-fight: ‘Persevere’, which is engraved on local lampposts and buildings, possibly referring to the uncertainties and hardship of life at sea. This word from Latin roots sounded almost out of place with all the swearing and strong language, but despite the heartbreaks, it stayed with me after the end of the show.