Allan Little takes us on a journey into Scotland’s recent history. Fifty years ago a radical theatrical event captured the nation’s state of political and social flux, and helped fuel a growing debate about devolution and independence. As Scotland once more considers its future place in the UK and Europe, what part did 7:84 theatre company’s The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil play in shaping attitudes in the decades since?

John McGrath’s play was first performed in April 1973 at a conference in Edinburgh called ‘What Kind of Scotland?’ The audience of academics, activists and writers had gathered to debate Scotland’s economic and political future at a time when nationalism was on the rise and concern was growing about the fair distribution of North Sea oil revenues.

The play charted the exploitation of Scotland’s natural resources, starting with the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries, when crofters were forcibly evicted from their homes to make way for more profitable Cheviot sheep. The Stag refers to the later commercialisation of deerstalking and grouse shooting for the benefit of landowners on large Highland estates. As for the oil – North Sea reserves had only recently been discovered when the play was written 50 years ago. 7:84 believed the windfall profits from oil and gas would fall into the hands of American corporations.

The show went on the road, playing at schools and community halls across the Highlands, sometimes to as few as a dozen people. Many audience members had never been to see a play before. They were farmers and fisherfolk, and often the direct descendants of families who had suffered in the Clearances. In the north-east, the show resonated with communities whose lives were rapidly changing because of the burgeoning North Sea oil boom. While many were excited by the prosperity and opportunity oil would bring, others feared that Scotland’s resources would once more be plundered, this time by American multinationals and the Westminster exchequer.

Through archive sources and fresh new interviews with cast members, historians, campaigners and writers, Allan explores the ways in which The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black Black Oil influenced not just the politics of the time but cultural perceptions of Scotland and Scottishness.

Photo: Jonathan Sumberg

Producer: Hugh Costello

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4