The Selkie Wife

Maritime inspired art has a power and beauty beyond itself. “The Selkie Wife,” inspired both by Ireland and Newfoundland is lovely and deeply moving. This is a poignant tale of the deep passion between Irish fisherman Driscoll Murphy (Jordan Cutbill) and his “selkie” wife Muirin Murphy (Erin Germaine Mahoney). Not only inspired by the ocean, the performance is beautifully located at Circle Point, with the water (False Creek, which is ocean-y enough) and the circle grove with its centre hummock a perfect frame for the production.

What is a selkie? A mythical sea changeling – a seal-person who is drawn to take a human lover, but will soon disappear back to the
ocean; they can be trapped on dry land if their seal-skin, shed to become a human, is found before it can be reclaimed. Is Muirin a
selkie? The mystery of this question is woven into the wonderful story in such a way that the answer doesn’t matter – it is the love and tension between this couple, and within Muirin’s mind and heart, which gives the story its true magic.

 This tension is held by two great performers with Mahoney, especially, bringing depth and meaning to her characterization. Many in the audience were moved to tears as the story unfolded. It was so enthralling that the technical glitch of all the lights going out for
the last third of the performance didn’t matter. The bright moon over the water was perfect lighting for an emotional climax and ending. As well as brilliant acting, the skilled blocking and perfect, minimal set design are worth noting. The company made use of the outdoor setting perfectly, moving through and around the space so as to weave the locale into the storytelling throughout.