Review: When Mountains Meet

Accomplished musician Anne Wood’s autobiographical When Mountains Meet is on tour throughout Scotland this May. An autobiographical account of her first encounters with her Pakistani father in her early 20s, the show follows young Anne’s journey from Ullapool to the Indian subcontinent. Violin in hand then, as now, she responds to and interprets her tale through music.

It’s an ambitious undertaking, designed for gig spaces, rather than theatres, where the audience can be arranged cabaret style before a stage. The tables are set for tea, quite literally, hot tea and Pakistani pastries, plus a small cairn of stones. This sets the scene for a hybrid of gig, storytelling, and immersive theatre, which draws the audience inside Anne’s memoir and takes them on her journey.

The show’s superb musical credentials pay off from the start, the band of Wood, The Poozie’s electric harpist Mary Macmaster, composing percussionist Rick Wilson, and globe-trotting sitar player Rakae Jamil know how to work a crowd. Their set both drives and responds to proceedings, weaving in generous helpings of Scottish and Pakistani influence. With Edinburgh’s terrific TradFest just around the corner, it’s hard to think of a more appropriate amuse-bouche than When Mountains Meet!

“Their set both drives and responds to proceedings, weaving in generous helpings of Scottish and Pakistani influence.”

The drama is kept fairly fluid, narration in particular distributed through cast and musicians alike. Iman Akhtar makes a vulnerable yet determined Young Anne, whilst Jamie Zubairi channels a little Matt Berry when creating her larger-than-life doctor father. When not playing Anne’s half-brother Farouq, Hassan Javed slips into a range of other characters as required. This trio weave amongst the tables, creating a floor show of sorts, and adding the odd ‘special effect’ such as birds flying over the audience’s heads.

It’s all very gently directed by the trio of Wood, Kath Burlison, and Niloo-Far Khan, the story kept in orbit around the music, and not allowed to stray too far into Hallmark Card territory. Indeed, there’s no perfect resolution on offer, Anne’s reunion with her dad complicated by custom and pervasive ideas of taboo. It’s about finding joy in the imperfect gifts of life, and the sheer beauty of being alive.

It’s possible that When Mountains Meet tries to do a little too much in the final reckoning, however. The necessary abridging of a complex period in Wood’s life coupled with a themed tea party plus a gig, dilutes its emotional impact. Talking of Anne in the third and first parties is handled as well as possible, but it does split her in two: now and then. It’s another layer of complexity that the show has to juggle.

“…the celebratory atmosphere never falters, and the story remains clear from start to end. “

However, the celebratory atmosphere never falters, and the story remains clear from start to end. There’s more than a touch of comedy here and there, drawn mostly from culture clash, and the absurdities of being a public figure such as her dad. The switches from drama to music, to musical drama are smooth, and the show’s message of love, acceptance, and growth is clear without being overdone.

Now, value for money is a rare thing to speak of when discussing Scottish theatre. Ticket prices are almost always well short of paying a production’s bills, but When Mountains Meet is quite a singular offering. Not many shows combine world-class modern trad music, a solid piece of theatre, food and drink. You’ll find yourself wishing it could run a little longer than 1 hour 15 minutes!

Ultimately many mountains meet in When Mountains Meet, Scottish and Pakistani, cultures, and individuals: it’s a delight to witness. You’ll tap your toes to the band’s insistent rhythms, share in Anne’s growing understanding of a musician’s place in another culture, and smile at her tricky, but strengthening bonds with family who never knew she existed.

When Mountains Meet/Jub Milain Pahar is presented Presented by the Authentic Artist Collective and KT Producing

Featured Image: Tom Snell