The Light House Traverse Theatre Edinburgh 28th March 2026 Review
Image by Anthony Robling
The Light House at the Traverse Theatre Edinburgh tonight was what all dramatic theatre should be - a story that you want to hear told to you by a performer that has the ability to bring the words and people in that story alive on stage.
The Light House was originally created in 2023, but tonight was this work’s Scottish Premiere, and the start of a Scottish tour. Sadly, this show was only on at the Traverse Theatre for one night, so by the time you are reading this review, sorry, it’s not there, you have missed it. This work is, however, well worth trying to see at one of its other touring performances which are listed at the end of this review.
Despite the name, The Light House has nothing to do with lighthouses, or even houses, but it has a lot to do with lights, but again, not the obvious use of a light as something external which we switch on or off. This is the light that a person can shine from within their own self to act as a beacon, a ray of hope in the darkness for someone that they know who is in darkness and needs to try and find a way out of this lonely place.
The Light House is an autobiographical work by writer and performer Alys Williams, directed by Andrea Heaton and produced by Sheena Miller. This one-person show, with a little bit of help from audience members being invited on stage to sometimes be people in the story, has a performance time of one hour, but clever use of basic stage props, and the ability of Alys Williams to make you want to come into her world and hear the next word of her story make this show seem a lot longer (and I mean that as a compliment). Here a lot of story, a lot of dialogue gets used to very good use in a surprisingly short performance time.
This then is the story of Alys Williams’ relationship with Nathan, a young man who for many reasons (many it seems even he did not know) reached a very low point in his own mental state of health. I am not going to tell you much about this as this story/show really needs to keep some of its story for those at a performance. The many issues which The Light House addresses include how to support someone that you love in their time of need and let them know that you are there for them, that you are their reference point, their beacon of light in their darkness, but they have to find that light, all you can do is be there. Also, you have to fight for your own self every day as this can be a lonely, wearying task that you have taken on, and if you get too close, you risk slipping into that person’s darkness with them. You know that if you do this, you both risk being lost in the darkness.
Cleverly, Alys uses the protocols in place for a man overboard situation at sea, and these include: 1. Shout out “Man overboard” and if you are the person that saw them going overboard, keep pointing at the place you last saw them at, 2. Call control, 3. Blow the whistle, 4. Throw a life buoy or life ring into the water, 5. If daytime, throw a flare into the last known position of man overboard, if night time, throw a light. When you translate all of these protocols to someone lost in their own darkness, the analogy between them and this story becomes crystal clear.
Alys Williams is a gifted performer, but it is her humour and her likeability as a person that stop this story becoming a very dark and depressing piece of work. A careful use of songs also plays an important part in this story.
Anyone who has ever tried to be there for someone that they love, someone that they care about will find empathy in this story, and sometimes that will mean re-living difficult moments again, but in the end, so many people need someone to be their Light House at some point in their own lives.
TOUR DATES
Sat 28 March | 7pm | Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Wed 1 April | 7pm | The Phoenix, Dumbarton
Sat 4 April | 7:30pm | Catstrand, New Galloway
Fri 10 April | 7pm | Byre Theatre, St Andrews
Sat 11 April | 7:30pm | Strathearn Arts, Crieff
Tue 14 April | 7:30pm | Craignish Village Hall, Ardfern
Thu 16 April | 7:30pm | Skye Bridge Studios, Skye
Sat 18 April | 8pm | An Lanntair, Stornoway
Mon 20 April | 7pm | Macphail Centre, Ullapool
Tue 21 April | 7pm | Memorial Hall, Resolis
Sat 25 April | 7:30pm | Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling
Fri 1 May | 7:30pm | Amble Parish Hall, Northumberland
Sat 2 May | 7:30pm | Humshaugh Village Hall, Northumberland
Sun 3 May | 7:30pm | Arnside Educational Institute, Cumbria
Tue 12 May | 7pm | Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
Thu 14 May | 7pm | The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
Sat 16 May | 7pm | Mareel, Lerwick, Shetland
Tue 19 May | 7:30pm | Staxigoe Hall (Lyth Arts), Wick
Thu 21 May | 7pm | Eden Court, Inverness
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
The Light House was originally created in 2023, but tonight was this work’s Scottish Premiere, and the start of a Scottish tour. Sadly, this show was only on at the Traverse Theatre for one night, so by the time you are reading this review, sorry, it’s not there, you have missed it. This work is, however, well worth trying to see at one of its other touring performances which are listed at the end of this review.
Despite the name, The Light House has nothing to do with lighthouses, or even houses, but it has a lot to do with lights, but again, not the obvious use of a light as something external which we switch on or off. This is the light that a person can shine from within their own self to act as a beacon, a ray of hope in the darkness for someone that they know who is in darkness and needs to try and find a way out of this lonely place.
The Light House is an autobiographical work by writer and performer Alys Williams, directed by Andrea Heaton and produced by Sheena Miller. This one-person show, with a little bit of help from audience members being invited on stage to sometimes be people in the story, has a performance time of one hour, but clever use of basic stage props, and the ability of Alys Williams to make you want to come into her world and hear the next word of her story make this show seem a lot longer (and I mean that as a compliment). Here a lot of story, a lot of dialogue gets used to very good use in a surprisingly short performance time.
This then is the story of Alys Williams’ relationship with Nathan, a young man who for many reasons (many it seems even he did not know) reached a very low point in his own mental state of health. I am not going to tell you much about this as this story/show really needs to keep some of its story for those at a performance. The many issues which The Light House addresses include how to support someone that you love in their time of need and let them know that you are there for them, that you are their reference point, their beacon of light in their darkness, but they have to find that light, all you can do is be there. Also, you have to fight for your own self every day as this can be a lonely, wearying task that you have taken on, and if you get too close, you risk slipping into that person’s darkness with them. You know that if you do this, you both risk being lost in the darkness.
Cleverly, Alys uses the protocols in place for a man overboard situation at sea, and these include: 1. Shout out “Man overboard” and if you are the person that saw them going overboard, keep pointing at the place you last saw them at, 2. Call control, 3. Blow the whistle, 4. Throw a life buoy or life ring into the water, 5. If daytime, throw a flare into the last known position of man overboard, if night time, throw a light. When you translate all of these protocols to someone lost in their own darkness, the analogy between them and this story becomes crystal clear.
Alys Williams is a gifted performer, but it is her humour and her likeability as a person that stop this story becoming a very dark and depressing piece of work. A careful use of songs also plays an important part in this story.
Anyone who has ever tried to be there for someone that they love, someone that they care about will find empathy in this story, and sometimes that will mean re-living difficult moments again, but in the end, so many people need someone to be their Light House at some point in their own lives.
TOUR DATES
Sat 28 March | 7pm | Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Wed 1 April | 7pm | The Phoenix, Dumbarton
Sat 4 April | 7:30pm | Catstrand, New Galloway
Fri 10 April | 7pm | Byre Theatre, St Andrews
Sat 11 April | 7:30pm | Strathearn Arts, Crieff
Tue 14 April | 7:30pm | Craignish Village Hall, Ardfern
Thu 16 April | 7:30pm | Skye Bridge Studios, Skye
Sat 18 April | 8pm | An Lanntair, Stornoway
Mon 20 April | 7pm | Macphail Centre, Ullapool
Tue 21 April | 7pm | Memorial Hall, Resolis
Sat 25 April | 7:30pm | Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling
Fri 1 May | 7:30pm | Amble Parish Hall, Northumberland
Sat 2 May | 7:30pm | Humshaugh Village Hall, Northumberland
Sun 3 May | 7:30pm | Arnside Educational Institute, Cumbria
Tue 12 May | 7pm | Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
Thu 14 May | 7pm | The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
Sat 16 May | 7pm | Mareel, Lerwick, Shetland
Tue 19 May | 7:30pm | Staxigoe Hall (Lyth Arts), Wick
Thu 21 May | 7pm | Eden Court, Inverness
Review by Tom King (c) 2026
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com