STORYLINE
The story written by David Muldrew is a classic love story between people from two profoundly different cultures and indeed religious backgrounds of the Presbyterian and Roman Catholic faith set in the Ireland of the 1700'S.
The story starts with the emigration of the Scottish man's family from the Lowlands of Scotland to the shores of Ulster at the time of the Plantation, where, the English and Scottish Lords set about clearing the great forests of Ulster for the cultivation of their crops and animals.
The ensuing story is a slur which has plagued this island for hundreds of years, caused through the badge of bigotry and hatred which was cultivated and entrenched at this particular time in our history.
The setting for the musical is based very much in the coastal area of Co. Down under the backdrop of the omnipresent Mourne mountains, where the Irish Scot works for the landowners of the Protestant faith. The girl the planter male character meets is from a poor and proud people of the Catholic faith who are totally opposed to the arrival of the English, Protestant and Planter and they actively rebel against the encroachments on their tribal lands.
As the story progresses the dislike between the cultures is shown through song but, there is an underlying bond being exposed by the similarity in their music, dance and legend under the banner of Celtism.
The couple meet and cupid strikes his arrow. The couple decide to marry amid an atmosphere of extreme pressure, hatred, bigotry and fear and finally make their decision to leave the land they love and travel to the new lands of America to raise a family in the land of freedom and opportunity.
Nothing is as simple as it seems and in America a new war looms against the English landowners. Battle has to be done for their freedom from tyranny and taxes The two heroes, finally obtain the respect honour and future that they deserve in the new UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THIS STORYLINE IS PORTRAYED THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF SONG, DANCE THE USE OF TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS AND NARRATIVE.