A fine wee lass, a bonnie wee lass, a bonnie wee Margaret Holt (Tori Burgess) has a dream. Not so much of the Martin Luther King variety, more of the Ally MacLeod, in that having been captivated by the bravery of Scottish freedom fighters Wallace and Bruce, and entranced by the romanticism of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Mary Queen of Scots (who invented marmalade, don’t you know), she wants to free the best wee midge-ridden country in the world from boo-hiss English rule.

The fact that she is only nine years old and from Yorkshire is neither here nor there, for unbeknown to her parents (Clare Waugh and Simon Donaldson, who play a medley of comedic roles), she tiptoes out of her house in the dark of night, hitches a ride from Keighley to Kirkcudbright and after falling under the wing of the homely Jean and Tam tries to whip up support for Scottish independence through a combination of placard-waving, soapbox preaching and, most effective of all, free scones. Alas, the phrase “jam tomorrow” has never been more appropriate.

Written by celebrated crime writer Val McDermid, Margaret Saves Scotland is about as subtle as C. U. Jimmy and as biased as The National which robs the narrative of dramatic weight and tension; and the excessive renditions of ye olde Scottish songs, though finely sung and ably accompanied on piano, drums and pots and pans, tips the balance from sweet to cringe. But regardless of which side of the independence debate or Hadrian’s Wall you stand, you cannot help but be won over by Margaret’s girlish glee and patriotic Braveheart which like the tongue-in-cheek play is as wide as the Clyde.

Peter Callaghan
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