Shay Mace
Fraser Scott is the writer-director of upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe show Common Tongue, exploring the impact of language, identity and their intersections in Scotland. Following Bonnie (played by Olivia Caw, pictured), who feels her life has been defined by words; the right ones, the wrong ones and the ones used against her. Scott’s script gives Bonnie the chance to take to the stage and confront it all, but can she find the words? We caught up with Fraser for a pixelated pint to find out more about Scots, class, identity, and language.
You can catch Common Tongue at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on August 7th – 31st (not Wednesdays) from 14:45 (70mins). Tickets are available through the Venue’s Online Box Office.
Shay: Hi Fraser, tell us about your take on Scotland’s relationship with language and how it has affected the coming together of Common Tongue.
Fraser: In Scotland we have a very complicated relationship with the words we use. Our language, however you might describe it, is so closely tied with class, politics and our own sense of identity. What we say and how we say it defines who we are, and what’s interesting to me is that our language isn’t fixed. How we speak is malleable, and changes depending on where we are or where we’ve been. Common Tongue is a play about this idea; told as a coming-of-age story, Bonnie McKay retraces the steps of her own life as she tries to understand the words that come out of her mouth and why she can’t control them.
Shay: How has the creative process been of putting the show together? Give us an idea of the journey you’ve been on with it so far.
Fraser: Common Tongue started life in 2023 in a development workshop, and then premiered in 2024 at Cumbernauld Theatre. In 2025, the play then went on tour around Scotland, to community spaces and theatres alike from Peebles to St. Andrews. At each iteration, the show has changed in small ways as we get a better understanding of the work and how it lands with audiences. Olivia Caw has been working with me as the actor in Common Tongue since 2023, and so the play has truly formed around her in a really exciting way. It feels like a proper collaboration every time we bring the piece back, and she is the reason it resonates so strongly with audiences.
Shay: What will be the first thing the audience sees, feels, and hears as they enter the space?
Fraser: The moment before the beginning is a moment of anticipation. The sense of suspension hangs in the theatre, around a dimly lit tartan-clad set that acts as the playground for all the places the play takes us.
Shay: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Fraser: In lots of ways, Common Tongue is a story about being true to yourself. That’s a really hard thing to do, and some days it’s easier than others.I hope audiences find a little bit of strength in themselves, as well as comfort knowing the experiences of being misunderstood are widespread. It’s also a very funny show, so more than anything I hope audiences just have a good time.
Shay: What journey has the show been on to find itself at EdFringe 2026?
Fraser: Our tour last year was incredibly successful, and allowed us to build a strong audience for the work. We will be performing at the Scottish Storytelling Centre at the Fringe this year, which is the perfect space for the play. The theatre is designed for intimate acoustic storytelling, which is at the heart of Common Tongue. The Storytelling Centre have also supported the journey of the show; hosting a performance in 2023, and so it’s really rewarding to be able to return for a full run and work with the brilliant team there.
Shay: With EdFringe now just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Fraser: The most rewarding part of doing this show is experiencing it with an audience, and the Fringe gives us an opportunity to reach a diverse audience from all over the world. Despite being a fiercely Scottish story, the play speaks to anyone who’s ever felt out of place – wherever they are from or find themselves now.
Shay: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Fraser: A pint of Tennants.
A reminder, you can catch Common Tongue at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on August 7th – 31st (not Wednesdays) from 14:45 (70mins). Tickets are available through the Venue’s Online Box Office.
Kevin Quantum
