Review: Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers | A Play, A Pie and A Pint Halloween special
Updated: 10 minutes ago
Kenny Boyle's new Scottish folk horror play Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers is the Halloween special at A Play, A Pie and A Pint this year. Read my review here.
Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers ★★★★☆
Review: 27 October 2026 | Òran Mór, Glasgow
A bothy is a simple shelter often found in remote, mountainous regions of Scotland. Originally built to house hardy estate workers, these basic shelters have, for generations now, welcomed weary travellers looking for a reprieve from the storm. And that's the scenario in Kenny Boyle's new Scottish folk horror Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers, which premieres in Glasgow this week as the Halloween special at A Play, A Pie and A Pint.
Directed by Ben Harrison, Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers begins as hillwalkers Sorcha (MJ Deans) and Evander (played by writer Kenny Boyle himself) wait out a storm by the fire in Heather Grace Currie's earthy, Highland bothy. Ross Nurney works magic with gorgeous ambient lighting and howling winds that bathe both the stage and the basement of Òran Mór with a warm but ominous mood. It's all beautifully eerie, and the perfect setting for a spooky Halloween tale.
In Harrison's expertly constructed production, married couple Sorcha and Evander pass the time in the bothy by trading scary stories from Scotland's rich folklore. Through these fireside tales, the play offers a fascinating mix of unsettling Scottish legends and lore. Boyle's passion and knowledge of Scotland's history, myths, and supernatural monsters shine through in every one. They're the kind of chilling stories that make you lean forward in your seat a little, hungry to drink in every last detail.
MJ Deans and Kenny Boyle are both fantastic, engaging storytellers, and they deliver Boyle's rich dialogue in an awe-inspiring mixture of English and Gaelic. As the night in the bothy wears on, and the stories shift to the fearsome, dark Scottish Fae, the Badhbh-Shith or Baobhan Sìth - malevolent fairy vampires - there are hints at a deeper, darker story unfolding. To say more would risk spoilers, but it's a satisfying, fun and brilliantly sinister hour of theatre.
It's refreshing to find a play so full of expertly researched and genuinely chilling Scottish creatures and legends. As a native Scot, I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't heard of a single one of them before seeing Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers. This production serves as a powerful reminder of why we must keep passing these legends on to new audiences. By breathing dynamic new life into these myths and folk stories for a modern crowd, Kenny Boyle is indeed leading the way. ★★★★☆
Badhbh-Shith and The Storytellers is at A Play, A Pie and A Pint at Òran Mór, Glasgow until Saturday 31st October 2026. |
Kenny Boyle said:
"Halloween evolved from Samhainn, and Scotland is one of the Celtic countries where Samhainn was born. Telling scary stories, in the dark, around a fire (or in this case, dramatic stage lighting) is woven into the bones of Scotland. With Badhbh Shìth and the Storytellers, I want to keep the tradition of folk horror stories alive. If one person hears a tale we tell during this run and goes on to tell it to another person, then our spoken-word folklore lives on."
MORE: Looking for more spooky theatre in Glasgow this Halloween? Check out my guide to what's on in Glasgow theatre and beyond here: https://www.lisainthetheatre.com/post/whats-on-glasgow-halloween
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