The Light House (Ullapool, Macphail Centre)

“Man overboard, man overboard! Call control. Blow the whistle.”

Love is a complicated business. It gets even more complicated when the person you love doesn’t want to be alive. Tender, funny and defiantly hopeful, The Light House is a real-life story of falling in love and staying in love, even when the lights go out and you’re lost in the dark. It’s a love letter to life.

Join the emergency response as we dance in the kitchen, sing in the streets and try to turn the lights back on. It gets lonely, muddling through these days and nights. So why don’t we do it together?

★★★★★ “an absolute joy” (The Arts Dispatch)

★★★★★ “A truly remarkable play that leaves you dizzy, a little breathless and smiling your happy smile all the way home” (I ThankYou Theatre)

★★★★★ “magnificently acted” (A Youngish Perspective)

★★★★★ “crafted from top to bottom with artistry” (Theatre Weekly)

With puppetry, clowning and gently embedded audience participation, ‘The Light House’ is the highly acclaimed debut play of Lecoq-trained theatre artist Alys Williams, supported by an exciting, female-led creative team. Following a celebrated national tour and London run at Park Theatre in 2023-4, The Light House returns to stages across the UK in 2026 “to bring hope to nation that is crying out for it” (★★★★★ Theatre & Tonic).

Originally from the north of England, Alys Williams is an actor, director and theatre maker based in Glasgow & Leeds. She trained at the internationally renowned École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq in France and has worked across the UK and beyond with companies including Leeds Playhouse, Manipulate Festival, Mull Theatre, Al Seed Productions, Mind The Gap, Red Ladder, Slung Low, Cecil Green Arts, Cygnet Theatre (Paris), OYO (Namibia) and Corrymeela Arts (N. Ireland).

The Light House was created with the support of Arts Council England, Leeds Playhouse & Red Ladder, in partnership with local carer groups. This tour has been made possible through support from the Traverse Theatre, the Touring Network and NRTF (National Rural Touring Forum).

Hear previous audience responses here

Creative Team:

Writer & Performer Alys Williams

Director Andrea Heaton

Producers Sheena Miller & Rachael Halliwell

Tour Booker Sheena Miller

Associate Director Rod Dixon

Movement Director Maya Carroll

Lighting Designer Matthew Carnazza

Sound Designer Ed Heaton

Set & costume Designer Emma Williams

Technical Stage Manager Conal Walsh

Well-being Practitioner Noelle Adames

Access Consultant Vicky Ackroyd

Illustrator Joshua Morgan

Sensitive content: The performance includes sensitive content, including references to depression, suicide/suicidal ideation & hospitalisation. The show does include gentle audience participation but it’s okay to say ‘no’ if you would prefer not to participate.

Age guidance: this play is suitable for age 12 and above with parental supervision. Young people should be accompanied by an adult.

Tickets

£16 standard adult

£15 over-65

£11 access ticket (students, audience members receiving benefits, carers both unpaid and paid, no evidence needed)

£5 under-18s

There is no interval during this performance. Doors will open at 6.40 for the performance to start at 7pm.