Bonnie grew up with her grandpa in Paisley. While the girls in her class went on holiday to Florida and the theme parks, Bonnie and her grandpa made do with days out in Millport.  But right from the get go, her life was rich in words. She grew up listening to her Grandpa’s wee poems which wallowed in the Scots language, playing with the distinctive sound of the words, revelling in the rich and varied vocabulary. But, teased at school as she didn’t speak like the other children, she quickly learned that words can also be a weapon.

Common Tongue is part play, part spoken word. It first premiered last autumn and it’s brilliant to see it back for a full run at the Fringe. Olivia Caw delivers a commanding performance as Bonnie, escorting us on her personal journey from someone who felt tongue-tied by embarrassment about her upbringing to someone willing to own and even express pride in her roots. Her command of the language and perfectly enunciated delivery throughout is a masterclass.

Fraser Scott’s warm, wise and witty script charts her journey and doesn’t flinch away from the bumps and stumbles that characterise anyone’s meandering journey to work out what matters. Caw’s Bonnie is endearing enough that we wince with her, every step of the way. Equally, we revel in her realisations. In a marvellously theatrical moment, she shares Auld Lang Syne with a roomful of Americans, with a little help from the assembled audience, and witnesses first hand the power of words to bring people together.

Common Tongue is about finding the right words, the horrible repercussions of using the wrong words and the ways in which language, community and culture bring us together. Coorie into this warm hug of Scots words – you won’t regret it for a moment.

Common Tongue is at Netherbow Theatre at Scottish Storytelling Centre until Mon 31 Aug 2026