Through the Shortbread Tin
by Martin O’Connor
What makes a culture real: its history, its language or the stories we choose to tell about ourselves?
In Through the Shortbread Tin, writer and performer Martin O’Connor explores Scottish identity through the remarkable story of James Macpherson, the 18th-Century poet whose supposed translations of the ancient bard Ossian became one of the most celebrated—and controversial—literary sensations of their age.
Blending Glaswegian Scots, Gaelic, poetry, storytelling and sharp contemporary humour, O’Connor connects Macpherson’s search for a national mythology with his own questions about language, family, masculinity and belonging.
Moving between the aftermath of Culloden, Macpherson’s rise to literary fame and O’Connor’s memories of growing up in Glasgow, the play asks who gets to write history, whose voices are preserved, and what happens when people are separated from the languages and stories of their families.
Funny, provocative and deeply personal, Through the Shortbread Tin examines the myths Scotland creates, the truths it avoids and the histories hidden inside familiar symbols—from tartan and Highland landscapes to the humble shortbread tin.
“Subtly syncopated Scots poetry, stuffed with idioms, ironies and questions and delivered by O’Connor with an infectious, friendly charm.”
★★★★ The Stage
“Witty and provocative.”
★★★★ The Guardian
“A tartan wrapped gift of a show.”
★★★★ The Herald
“Historically rich as it is humorous.”
★★★★ All Edinburgh Theatre
“At the centre of it all is the figure of O’Connor, our unreliable narrator; with his sly and clever comedy, his brutal honesty, and his relentless questioning.”
★★★★ The Scotsman
Through the Shortbread Tin was first produced by the National Theatre of Scotland and toured venues across Scotland in 2025. The play combines direct address, spoken word, historical narrative and personal testimony. Written predominantly in Glaswegian Scots, with passages in Gaelic and English, it offers rich material for performers, theatre companies, students and readers interested in contemporary Scottish writing.
Themes
- Scottish identity, mythology and national memory
- Scots and Gaelic language
- Family history and cultural inheritance
- Masculinity, grief and emotional silence
- Colonialism and Scotland’s imperial history
- James Macpherson and the Ossian controversy
- Class, belonging and cultural exclusion
- Who controls the stories a nation tells
Ideal for
- Professional and community theatre companies
- Solo performers and spoken-word artists
- University theatre, literature and Scottish studies courses
- Students exploring Scots-language writing
- Readers interested in Scottish history, culture and identity
- Discussion of language loss, cultural memory and representation
Bulk discounts are available for productions, schools, universities and reading groups. Contact info at salamanderstreet.com for further information.
CAST: 1 actor
DURATION: 75 minutes