The Whaler’s Wife, starring Joyce Falconer, is a brooding story of women left behind while their husbands go to sea. The men are never seen, but their presence hangs over the play through the women’s conversations and the darker realities of the whaling trade.
Falconer has a strong presence as a bawdy fisherwoman, a character at odds with some of the moral restrictions imposed by the local church. The church itself also has a foreboding presence, bringing with it an older Scottish contradiction between outward morality and the realities of everyday life. It also stands between those who consider themselves morally superior and those simply trying to survive day to day. Much of that survival comes through humour; at other points it’s gossip and trying to earn a few shekels while the men are at sea.
Shawney Henderson as Elsie and Emma Tracey as Bess bring different shades to the women’s experiences. When one of them speaks of her husband’s distress and his reluctance to return to the whaling voyage, Marion’s response is stark: this is how they survive, and they’ve heard it all before. The horror of the whaling trade is gradually revealed through the women’s conversations, while dark secrets sit beneath the surface. The lighting is subtle and dark, adding to the brooding atmosphere without overwhelming the performances.
Folk shanties, harmonies and melodies give the production another voice that brings some light while connecting the women to the community and the sea that shapes their lives.
