As the lights turned a pale shade of blue and the wind dropped at the Minack, it was clear the theatre makers had succeeded in making the audience feel immersed in the moment when the veil separating life and death was lifted and the illusion of time was broken in this powerful production of The Zig Zag Way.

Presented by Trebiggan Productions, Collective Arts Ltd and Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, The Zig Zag Way is set in the Cornish mining area of Mexico in both 1910 and the present day. The play follows a young man’s quest to find out about his family’s Cornish roots during what happens to be Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead.

This unapologetically Cornish cultural masterpiece brilliantly blends humour with an emotional adventure and although it took a while to grasp the plot due to the shift between the past and present storylines, once it unfolded and the characters from each era became clear the play was gripping and full of suspense.

Through the use of dual storylines, The Zig Zag Way approaches the topic of genealogy in a unique way and the use of lighting plays a huge part in making this transition clear for the audience to understand. At points throughout the play, the characters from both eras were on the stage and experienced a feeling of unease aware that something was around them, albeit decades apart in time. The audience were able to feel part of this thanks to the sudden and perfectly timed use of pale blue lighting.

The location of The Minack could not have been better suited for this Cornish story and as the wind conveniently dropped during these pinnacle moments in the play, it heightened the feeling of immersion, as though the breeze had somehow been scripted in to it.

Adapted for the stage from the novel by Anita Desai, this play is doused in Cornish tradition, with the music complementing both the Mexican and Cornish heritage, including Cornish folk songs such as ‘Little Eyes’ and ‘The White Rose.’

The set and costumes were simple and practical which allowed the focus to remain on the actors, most of whom played more than one part as the cast was small but strong. With only a handful of actors it would have been easy for the lines between characters to become blurred in this fast paced production, but with such distinct characters and accomplished acting skills this was not an issue.

The fast pace of the production meant the stage was never left empty, and as the actors ran up and around the steps beside the audience it increased the feeling of immersion in the captivating storyline of this beautiful slow-burner.

The Zig Zag Way is a sumptuously Cornish powerful story of self-discovery, mining and migration in a way that is both heart-touching and implants intrigue about family heritage in the audience’s minds.

The Zig Zag Way is showing across Cornwall until July 7, it will be at The Poly on Saturday, June 18.