Through the Shortbread Tin
Through the Shortbread Tin is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Scottish Storytelling Centre. It has 22 performances listed, running from Thu 6 Aug, 16:45 to Mon 31 Aug, 16:45. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
The story of the greatest literary hoax of all time. 1760: Scottish poet James Macpherson sets the world ablaze with stories of the third-century Scottish bard, Ossian – but is it built on deceit? 2026: Martin O’Connor questions his own relationship with Scottish culture. Sporrans, stags, and shortbread; do these gift-shop images hold us back or bring us forward? Performed in Scots with Gaelic songs, Through the Shortbread Tin returns to explore the myths we tell each other and the stories we tell ourselves. 'Witty and provocative' (Guardian). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com.
Details
- Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Space: Netherbow Theatre
- Genre: THEATRE
- Country: UNITED KINGDOM - SCOTLAND
- Running time: 75 minutes
- Room size: about 99 seats (Netherbow Theatre) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 22, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Wheelchair access: lift
- Access features: Step-free access, Accessible toilet, Hearing loop
- Venue notes: Accessible entry: There is level access into the Centre from the John Knox House entrance. If entering using the main SSC entrance there are 9 steps up. Once inside there is a lift that can take customers down to the -1 floor which is the top of the raked seating. If not it is 16 steps down to the top of the raked seating. Wheelchair access type:Lift (Building Lift) Stairs: 20+ Number of stairs is provided as guidance and is not in addition to any wheelchair access type (lift/ramp etc) stated above.
What the reviewers said
We have captured 3 published reviews and 9 audience reviews for this show from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s own listing. The excerpts below are the reviewers’ words, not ours — follow each link for the full review.
Its own irreverent and touching origin myth for today’s Scotland
— Plays To See (4 out of 5 stars)
What is Scottish culture when stripped of the gift-shop clichés? In Through the Shortbread Tin, Martin O’Connor interrogates the commercialised identity of sporrans, stags, and shortbread tins, questioning whether these…
— The Reviews Hub (4 out of 5 stars)
Ostensibly the story of James Macpherson, who gathered Highland folk stories for his Tales of Ossian, Through The Shortbread Tin also traces Martin’s relationship with his Gaelic-speaking grandfather and his lack of…
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Thu 6 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £10.00
- Fri 7 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sat 8 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sun 9 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Mon 10 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sun 16 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Mon 17 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Tue 18 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Thu 20 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sun 23 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Mon 24 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Tue 25 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Thu 27 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Sun 30 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00
- Mon 31 Aug, 16:45 — Already performed — £18.00