Deep Wheel Orcadia

Deep Wheel Orcadia presents a spellbinding fusion of performance and music that brings the captivating story to stage. Produced by Scissor Kick, this moving show is told entirely in Orkney Scots with English surtitles. With direction by Susan Worsfold and an incredible original string quartet score by BAFTA-winning composer Atzi Muramatsu, this groundbreaking sci-fi story celebrates a living minority language and places it at the heart of the cosmos.

If you're not familiar with the novel, here's a little bit about the story: 

When Astrid returns home from art school on Mars, she’s lost to find inspiration on a distant, dilapidated space station spinning slowly through the stars – Deep Wheel Orcadia. As the station and its people struggle for survival, Astrid meets Darling, a mysterious Martian seeking refuge in an already troubled haven. The fragile connection between two outsiders becomes a lifeline as Deep Wheel Orcadia delves into queer identities and a struggle for survival.

This stimulating production will open for its world premiere at Orkney Theatre as part of St Magnus International Festival, before then continuing its journey on to The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen and Eden Court in Inverness, Deep Wheel Orcadia celebrates the vibrant dialect in a heartwarming exploration of belonging, soul searching, and how we can find ourselves whilst feeling afloat in space.

The stage adaptation of this work takes an excerpt from the novel in a period where Astrid and Darling first meet, which is performed by Harry Josephine, accompanied by a string quartet which includes Catriona Price (Violin 1), Kate Miguda (Violin 2) and Marsailidh Groat (Viola) alongside BAFTA-winning composer Atzi Muramatsu (Cello). The stage show fuses music, image, and performance into an astral spectacle with design from Robbie Thomson and Claire Hallaran which takes this show into space.