'Ceilidh The Musical' review — join in the fun with this festive celebration of Scottish dance

Read our review of Ceilidh The Musical, now in performances at Shoreditch Town Hall to 13 November.

Summary

• Ceilidh The Musical comes to Shoreditch Town Hall
• The joyful show is built around traditional Scottish dance
• Scott Gilmour impresses as the co-creator and star
• The audience is invited to join in the merriment

The Gaelic word “ceilidh” (pronounced “kay.lee” as the programme prominently informs us) refers to a social visit or gathering, but for the sake of argument, let’s translate it as simply meaning “joy”. That, certainly, is the feeling imparted by the London premiere of the long-aborning musical-cum-dance show of the same name conceived in lockdown and seen previously in Scotland as part of Alan Cumming’s Pitlochry Festival Theatre season of work.

A bequest story in which the art of calling the dance of the title gets passed from one generation to the next, the effervescent production from Tony-winning director-choreographer Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary!) is light on narrative, but packed to the brim and beyond with feeling. The heavyweight line-up of Broadway names attached – the designer Rachel Hauck (Hadestown), herself a Tony winner, included – suggests a further American life for a piece sure to delight wherever it goes. A word, though, of caution: uninitiated auditors may struggle at times with the Scottish accents.

That said, there’s no escaping the buoyancy evident from the warm greeting provided at the outset by lead performer Scott Gilmour – the protean talent responsible with Claire McKenzie for the show’s book, music and lyrics – who explains the ground rules of what will occur within the capacious environs of Shoreditch Town Hall. Those in attendance solo, he assures us, are fully welcome, and no one will be forced to get up and join in a waltz or reel or jig unless they so wish. The presence of two bars in close proximity is there to help more reluctant souls shed any inhibitions.

And with that, we’re off, collective dance interludes woven into a slim but appealing plot involving family, inheritance and community that can be distilled in one character’s exhortation to “live, laugh, love”. Not since Guys and Dolls departed the Bridge Theatre has a show offered so necessary an antidote to the larger abrasions of the world beyond.

The vibe – not to mention the musicianship in general – recalls such disparate titles as Come From Away and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Ceilidh shares with the latter-named trophy-bearer an interest in the mysterious workings of time. Scottish flags flank a glitter ball overhead, while festoon lights lend a sense of occasion amplified in gastronomic terms not by anything as common as cake but, instead, by interval servings of haggis (too salty for my taste but hey) and whisky (too strong for me, sorry).

There’s plenty on which to feast as we collectively recite the words of Robert Burns, clock nods toward Scottish independence, and discover more about Gilmour’s Ramsay, who comes by his authority naturally as the son of the seasoned caller Leo (David Rankine), and of relationships forged – where else? – down at the local chippie.

The 17-strong cast all look to be having the time of their lives, and the plot cleverly accommodates an English outsider to proceedings – Kirsty Findlay’s enchanting Euna – to embody the outlier quickly folded into the festive ranks. The evening closes with a climactic singalong to “Auld Lang Syne”, which may seem a bit premature for those of us still to do our Christmas shopping. But if 2027 is anything like as cheering as this show, there’s hope for us all yet.

Ceilidh The Musical is at Shoreditch Town Hall to 13 November. Book Ceilidh The Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Ceilidh The Musical (Photos by Luke Dyson)