Plot Summary

Following the introductory song (‘Drumnadrochit’), we meet the hapless Katie Allbright and her fellow reporters at the rural newspaper, the Diddlesbury Gazette (song – ‘This Media Merry-Go-Round’). Displeased with the recent calamities caused by Katie whilst reporting on local events, her editor sends her ‘out of the way’ where she can’t get into any more trouble! She is dispatched to the small town of Drumnadrochit, on the shores of Loch Ness, to cover the story of a recent sighting of the legendary Nessie.

On arriving in Drumnadrochit, with no expenses budget, Katie pitches a tent down by the waterside. From here she witnesses the comings and goings of some interesting characters, in particular three wizened old locals (Malcolm McPhee, Maggie McDougal and Mo McDonald) who are ‘guardians’ of the loch and of the legend in which it is shrouded. (song – ‘The Guardians’ Song’). They entertain a group of schoolchildren and their teacher with tales of Nessie, and McPhee explains how, as a young man, he gave up his sweetheart, Agnes, to dedicate his life to being a guardian. (song – ‘Make It All Worthwhile’). The calm lochside atmosphere is soon shattered by a group of loud American tourists who, despite wanting to see a bit of culture and history, complain about the portion sizes in the local tea-rooms, and demand to know when Nessie will be making an appearance so they can snap her with their expensive cameras! (song – ‘The Good Ol’ USA’).

However, it is the arrival of the famous legend-busting scientist, Cecil Franklin Pyke, which causes the biggest stir. (song – ‘Scientists’). Announcing that he and his research assistants are here to prove once-and-for-all that Nessie does not exist, the future of Drumnadrochit and the locals who rely on the legend is thrown into uncertainty. We learn that once upon a time every loch in Scotland was home to a monster, but one by one they had disappeared. They had drowned in the waters of doubt and disbelief; a situation brought about by science and a modern world that has little imagination. (song – ‘The Monsters’ Cry’). Will Nessie, the last remaining monster, suffer the same fate now that Cecil Franklin-Pyke is in town?

Or will a strange, fantastical experience at the water’s edge mean that Katie can breathe new life into the legend of Nessie before it’s too late? Dare she even speak of what she’s seen? (song – ‘Help Me To Find A Way’). Will people, in particular her editor at the Diddlesbury Gazette, think she’s lost her marbles? (song – ‘A Wee Bit Doolally’). Well, with surprises and twists right to the bitter end, the outcome of this fishy tale is far from certain!