SCOTLAND’S only Scots language theatre company is bringing a new play to rural audiences after their sell-out inaugural show last year.
The new play, So Long, Wee Moon, is set at a turning point in the country’s linguistic history with the advent of the talking movies.
Braw Clan founder Martin Travers told the Sunday National that he had started the company because so few plays in the Scots language were being staged in Scottish theatres.
“Braw Clan aims to fix that by making new Scots language theatre for rural audiences in Clydesdale and southern Scotland, bringing powerful stories and world-class performers to village halls,” he said.
As a result of its impact, Braw Clan has been nominated for Community Project O The Year in the Scots Language Awards this year.
Scots is currently experiencing a renaissance, with more than 46% of Scotland’s population now claiming some proficiency in the language.
Travers said: “To be nominated for a Scots Language Award is an honour and shows how far Braw Clan has come. We aim to use spoken Scots as a force for good in communities in Clydesdale and southern Scotland, putting people first in everything we do.”
Whipsawing between the dazzle of Broadway and a rundown Clydesdale cottage, the new play explores how a family of women hurt and help each other as they struggle to survive.
So Long, Wee Moon is performed in Scots and American English and accompanied by a suite of digital resources examining challenges to rural women’s mental health.
It is written and produced by Travers who said he was excited about the new tour as the feedback from last year’s had been “amazing”.
“It just blows people’s minds when they not only get to see a new piece of theatre but find out it is in Scots and has a connection to where they are sitting,” he said.
“The education system should never have been allowed to become so Anglocentric but Scots survives in people’s hearts and mouths.
“We just hope we are part of a new surge of appreciation for the language. It is important for us to make the work in Scots because it shows people they are not daft and to have the confidence to use the words that they have grown up with. They are not bad words, they are not slang words, they are Scots words.
“We are on a wee bit of a mission but it is one we hope is entertaining.”
The new play is about a young Scots girl who is desperate to become an actress in the silent movie era.
“I wanted to look at when English and American started to dilute the Scots spoken in the house,” said Travers. “I suppose radio was a big deal and also when the talkies came in. That was a pivotal moment I think for the Scots language so I wanted to look at what would happen if someone could have been a big star in the movies but her Scottish accent held her back.
“In a way, the play connects with the past but it hopefully resonates with a modern audience because it also looks at women’s mental health. I am pretty sure that anyone who makes the effort to come and see it will have a brilliant night.
Travers added: “Our plays are made in Scotland for people living in Scotland and that means everyone living in Scotland.”
The play will tour to Crawfordjohn, Biggar, Leadhills, Wiston, Crawford, Roberton and Symington from Wednesday September 18 – Saturday, September 28.
