Review: “A Yank in Scotland” is Highland hike down memory lane

“A Yank in Scotland” is far more than just a collection of stories from writer and performer Paul O’Brien’s childhood. Performing recently at the Threshold Repertory Theater as part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, O’Brien managed to bring a Highland mist to every eye in the house as he recounted tales of his time across the pond as a young boy.

At first glance, these vignettes of swinging a toy sword and pretending to be Bonnie Prince Charlie may appear to be self-indulgent, but as O’Brien carried on, his real meaning came through. Every story, either in part or their entirety, centered around an understanding. Whether it was better understanding family, the community or even the land itself, O’Brien brought an undeniable charm to each of his shared realizations.

Under shining Highland greens and loch blues matching his tartan kilt, O’Brien recounted his personal folk tales of the myriad items onstage beside him. Bonnie Prince Charlie, whom he had pretended to be as a child, a family photo from one trip, even the 8-iron O’Brien used for his first hole-in-one were all present alongside his father’s favorite Scotch whiskey, Famous Grouse .

While a weaker performance may have been about landmarks and pubs, O’Brien instead shared his various faux-pas from the years alongside a shared family history. From mocking his aunt’s accent to gravely insulting Queen Elizabeth II’s private guard, each of his stories ended with a greater understanding of those around him. Even the show’s title is a play on one of these moments, in perhaps the greatest pun ever written.

While leaving the theater, one man asked his wife, “Do you suppose it was real?” Even if O’Brien’s stories may not have been, it’s clear that the meaning behind them was: sometimes, all people need is just a little understanding.

IF YOU PLAN TO GO: Performances are June 6 at 7 p.m. and June 9 at 4 p.m. at the Threshold Repertory Theater, 84½ Society St. Tickets are $15 to $20.

C.M. McCambridge is an arts journalism student at Syracuse University.