How would you describe the show, The Land That Never Was?

At its simplest, it’s a storytelling show about Gregor MacGregor who was a conman in the 1800s who sold a country that literally did not exist, while I weave in personal stories from the present day that connect to Gregor. Throughout the show there’s a slideshow that fact checks me and deconstructs all the techniques I use to manipulate the audience. It forces you to question your biases and call bullshit on me. So it’s a show that really puts the audience front and centre – none of it exists without you. 

Why do you feel the story of Gregor MacGregor is important to tell in 2025?

I heard about Gregor’s scam and immediately thought of political charlatans like Trump, Johnson, and Farage who try to sell an idea of the UK and USA that never existed. I found it oddly reassuring to discover there have always been opportunists and victims of misinformation. Because the news moves so rapidly it felt impossible to make a show about contemporary post-truth life but Gregor’s story (despite being 200 years old) felt like the perfect mirror to what we’re living through. 

One of the key themes explored in the show is colonialism. Do you think Scotland’s colonial history is sufficiently analysed and challenged on the country’s stages?

There’s been some great work by writers like May Sumbwanyambe, Hannah Lavery, and Adura Onashile to tackle Scotland’s colonial history but I do wonder why people of colour are constantly expected to educate audiences about their own history of oppression. In The Land That Never Was I try to grapple with the common lie that Scotland was somehow forced by England to participate in colonialism. It’s a lie that I believe holds us back as a country and a refusal to engage with the past makes it harder to forge a new future. 

The show utilises a number of forms, including traditional theatre, storytelling and stand-up – how does this hybridity help explore the topic of the show?

I like using different forms to test the audiences’ openness to manipulation from me as a storyteller. If I stand onstage and say I’m Hamlet everyone knows that’s a fiction but if I say Hi I’m Liam and I wrote this show” there’s more of an expectation that I’ll tell you the truth. It’s fun to mess around with those expectations. 

What do you hope audiences will take away from seeing the show?

I hope they have a laugh, I know I make it sound very worthy and serious but I promise there are jokes! I always want audiences to have fun in the theatre and argue with each other about what it meant afterwards. I’m a big believer that what happens after the show is as important as the show itself. 

What does the rest of the year hold for you – what other projects do you have coming up?

I’m very fortunate to have a busy 2025, though if you’d asked me a month ago I’d have had no idea what was coming up – it’s a very chaotic life! I’m working with the Young Vic in London, experimenting with using mobile phones as storytelling devices in theatre. I’ve also joined Dead Centre, a theater company in Dublin, as an Associate Artist who are supporting me to develop a new show about the police, protest, and propaganda as part of a residency with the Theatres de la Ville de Luxembourg.