Mystery of Loch Ness monster turned into a musical

The mystery of the Loch Ness monster has been turned into a musical.

Nessie and the other aquatic inhabitants of the famous water are brought to life as colourful puppets operated by the cast.

The story is set in Bruachness on the banks of the loch.

And tells the tale of the unlikely bond between Mara, a young biologist and the legendary monster – named Nessa.

*An image captured during rehearsals for the musical “Nessie”. (Jam Press/Fraser Band)*

As news of Nessa spreads Bruachness is swept into a whirlwind of monster mania with tourists flocking to the town eager to catch a glimpse of the elusive creature.

A menacing plot unfolds at the local hydro plant and Mara, Nessa, and their aquatic friends attempt to safeguard the loch and its inhabitants.

They uncover the secret of Nessa’s mysterious origins along the way.

Music and lyrics are by composer and musical director Shonagh Murray as reported by What’s The Jam.

Nessie is the first fully fledged production to emerge from the Musicals Commissioning Hub, a partnership between Capital Theatres and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Chief Executive of Capital Theatres, Fiona Gibson, said: “Shonagh captivated us with her ideas and creativity.

“It has been such an exciting process to support her creative journey with Nessie from an initial idea to a scratch performance.

“We are so proud that this truly Scottish story both on stage with our magnificent cast and beautiful puppet beasties and off stage with our brilliant creative team is getting its chance to shine.

“We can’t wait to share Shonagh’s beautiful show with audiences of all ages.”

Film star Alan Cumming, Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre, added: “One of the things I want to do as artistic director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre is to celebrate and elevate great Scottish women and who is more Scottish and iconic than Nessie?

“I look forward to finding out more about her life and loves and especially to hearing her sing.”