Mel Gibson, Outlander, Monarch Of The Glen: who gets to define Scotland? It’s what poet Martin O’Connor considers in this smart examination of Scottish tropes, myths and identity. History is written by the victors, but what about the voices of the poor, the unhealthy, the insecure, he asks, weaving together the story of James Macpherson (who faked translations of the third-century bard, Ossian) and his own childhood in Glasgow, living with his mum and his grandad from Lewis. 

Performed in Scots with Gaelic songs, O’Connor blends patronising stereotypes of the ‘Scotch’ in the style of a ropey comedian, alongside affectionate and poignant descriptions of Scottish qualities and foibles. Familiar expressions in Scots roll alongside clichés of sporrans, thistles and misty Highland vistas (he’s standing in front of one onstage). The sections on suppressed identities, shame, cringe and emotionally unavailable men pack a particularly sharp punch, while a message of uprising pierces through, calling on Scots to use their voices as a weapon, regardless of the centuries-old narrative that Scots and Gaelic language is backwards or uncultured. 

The trio of singers harmonising in Gaelic around him (Iona Mairead, Josie Duncan and Mairi McGillivray) create a gorgeous, soaring chorus, as O’Connor reclaims the language that many have tried to kill in the hope that Scottish stories and culture will perish with it. Neither tub thumping nor twee, the rhymes and readings manage to both acknowledge Scotland’s weaknesses and limitations, while wrestling it free of the embarrassment imposed on a nation by its oppressors.

Through The Shortbread Tin, Glasgow Cathedral, Thursday 3–Saturday 5 September; Stirling Castle, Friday 11 September; Urquhart Castle Visitor Centre, Drumnadrochit, Thursday 17–Saturday 19 September; reviewed at Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh; picture: Eoin Carey.