National Theatre of Scotland - The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart

“The whole story is staged with a terrific, inventive sense of fun…more vibrantly, sexily alive than any piece of theatre I’ve seen in Scotland for years.”—The Scotsman [Edinburgh]

The very definition of a fun-filled theatrical experience, the National Theatre of Scotland’s rollicking production The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart was a universally acclaimed hit at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival. In its pub-like setting—complete with bar service—you’ll delight in the antics of actor/musicians who circulate through the crowd while spinning a hilarious tale set in modern-day Scotland.

On the morning of the winter solstice, Prudencia Hart, a prim, uptight academic, sets off to attend a conference in a small town in Scotland. The town is Kelso in the Scottish Borders, the area along the English-Scottish border known for its romantic history (it’s the land of Sir Walter Scott) and its traditional Border ballads. The snow begins to fall, and little does she know who or what awaits her. Prudencia’s dream-like journey of self-discovery unfolds among and around the audience, delivered in a riotous romp of rhyming couplets inspired by those Border Ballads, devilish encounters, and wild karaoke.

So pull up a chair and wet your whistle for an evening of anarchic theater, live music, and supernatural goings-on in a brash comedy that pulls you into a captivating web of plot twists. The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart is a laugh-out-loud show you’ll long remember.

Here are some more raves for Prudencia Hart.

“You shouldn’t miss this show for the world.… Four Stars.”—The Herald [Edinburgh]

“The staging is energetic…the script fast and witty. It’s lyrical, beautiful, boozy, hysterical, philosophical.… Prudencia Hart is a thrilling, musical, mystical joy.”—Big Issue [UK]

“What's really clever about this National Theatre of Scotland production is not just that it is itself a ballad about ballads written in the form of a ballad, rhyming couplets and all…nor is it just its inventive staging, performed in a bar, or its terrific performances by the five-strong cast of actor musicians. It's that it gets right to the heart of the Scots' schizophrenic relationship with their own culture which they love and hate, identify with and deny, in equal measure, often all in the same sentence.”—The Times [London]