A Brief History of Scotland – We Done Loads
This show is narrated by ‘Sean Connery’, or God, and he starts by explaining how he created Scotland and the Scots before the rest of the universe. He also makes a few references to how he created the rest of humanity as an afterthought. We are then catapulted into the Garden of Eden(burgh) and meet Adam, Eve, Satan, their children and how they were expelled from the Garden into the cold world. I particularly liked the ‘naked’ costumes.
Next we are shown the flowering culture of Scotland and the arrival of the Romans, and how the Scots ensured the Romans didn’t nick any of their inventions to claim as their own. Then follows a short scene with King David, a longer scene from Braveheart (with obligatory bum flashing), a short scene with Flora McDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie, a couple of quick poems by Rabbie Burns, a disturbingly long scene at the Edinburgh Fringe with some American tourists and an over-eager cook, and an impassioned finale featuring the entire cast, some flags, a poem and overwhelming partriotic fervour.
So an hour of history and lots of very silly jokes, all performed in heavy Scots accents and many requiring a bit of pre-knowledge about Scottish history if you want to get all the jokes (how many non-Scots know what King David did?). I could hear the couple behind me being very confused for much of the show, but English was very much their second language, so whether they could even understand the Scots tongue……
There is only the Braveheart nudity and a fair amount of swearing (well, they ARE Scottish) to worry about. So if you want to know more about the ‘promised land’ in which you are partying, this is an excellently funny, if a bit parochial, introduction.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.