That makes “Harrumph” particularly fun to choreograph. The music has a wonderful sense of pomp and self-importance, and the movement can exaggerate that authority until it becomes comedy. Cliff commands; the islanders respond. He expects order; they give him just enough of it. The choreography becomes a physical conversation between the Laird and the people he believes he controls. Every formation, reaction and bit of dance can reinforce the imbalance while also allowing the audience to see that the islanders have personalities and opinions of their own.
Like much of the movement in Eigg, the goal was never simply to put dance steps behind a song. We wanted the choreography to help tell the story. “Harrumph” gives the ensemble a chance to establish the relationship between landowner and community without stopping to explain it. The Laird can dominate the stage while the islanders create another story around him through their reactions, timing and movement. That is one of the things musical theatre choreography can do particularly well: an audience can understand a relationship before anyone has to put it into words.
And, of course, it has to be fun. Eigg the Musical deals with serious ideas about land, ownership, community and who gets to determine the future of a place, but music, comedy and dance allow us to approach those ideas with a lighter touch. “Harrumph” takes authority and turns it into theatrical swagger. It lets the Laird believe he is magnificently impressive while giving the audience plenty of opportunity to see the absurdity underneath.
That is why the choreography for “Harrumph” remains such an enjoyable part of Eigg. Music, theatre, dance and storytelling are all doing the same job at the same time. It isn't choreography added to a song after the fact—it is another layer of the story, helping introduce the world of Eigg and the conflict between the people who live there and the people who believe they own it.
Music & Lyrics by April Alsup
Book by Mark Sbani
Eigg the Musical Licensed by Viewmark.
