King of Scotland

This one-man shows stars Jonathan Watson as Tommy, an “ugly wee bastard” who has been unemployed for 28 years and lives in a mouldy flat with a woman he refers to only as “Big Fat Jacqui”. He is also the (self-proclaimed) King of Scotland. Tommy, the master of self-delusion, describes life from his own unique perspective and the policies he intends to implement as King, such as making Gibberish the national language.

Iain Heggie’s reworking of Nikolai Gogol’s Diary of a Madman is clever and insightful as he provides a satirical look at the changing political landscape in Scotland in the present day. Watson delivers a strong performance and commands the audience expertly with the result that the venue is filled with chortles, guffaws and whoops for the entire one hour duration of the play.

This is not a show for anyone with easily offended ears though; there are no holds barred as Tommy rants about tits, erections, women he’d like a “ride” on – and he uses every profanity under the sun. Otherwise, Watson’s experience as a top Scottish actor and comedian shows and makes King of Scotland well worth a look.

– Kendal Spark