A Toast Fae The Lassies
It is January 25, 1797, in the quiet graveyard of Dumfries, and Agnes Burns is remembering her recently departed son, Robert Burns. Her solemn visit is interrupted by an unexpected encounter with Jean Armour, Robert’s widow, and mother to his nine children. The two women, bound by a shared history and unresolved tensions, clash as they come face-to-face.
Unbeknownst to them, a mysterious figure watches from the shadows: Clarinda, Burns’s muse and soulmate, who has brought a dram to honour her beloved Rabbie. Each woman recalls the ploughman poet in her own distinct way, and through his songs they recount their stories.
This new musical play explores the life of Robert Burns through the perspectives of the three women who knew him best. It highlights how these often-overlooked figures shaped the legacy and contributed to the art of Scotland’s greatest poet.