Through the Shortbread Tin

Author(s): Martin O’Connor Company: National Theatre of Scotland

The story of the greatest literary hoax of all time.

In 1760, Scottish poet James Macpherson set the world ablaze with stories of the third-century Scottish bard, Ossian. This tartan-trimmed tale of Highland history spread far and wide, capturing the imagination of thousands—but was it built on a deception?

In 2025, Scottish poet Martin O’Connor decides to revisit Macpherson’s epic and begins to question his own relationship with Scottish culture. The sporrans, the stags, the shortbread—do these ‘gift-shop’ images of Scotland hold us back or bring us forward? What does it mean to be authentic, and is the truth sometimes better told in a lie?

Performances

Venue: Tron Theatre, Glasgow Dates:
Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh Dates:
Venue: An Lanntair, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis Dates:
Venue: Mareel, Lerwick Dates:
Venue: Eden Court, Inverness Dates:

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