New Musical Gives Voice To Flora MacDonald Next Year
Performances run at Eden Court Inverness and Pavilion Glasgow in March 2026.
By: Stephi Wild Sep. 12, 2025
Many a young Scot has been told stories of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his heroic adventures but rarely is Flora MacDonald more than a passing mention as the woman who smuggled the Young Pretender “Over the sea to Skye”.
Writer Belle Jones wanted to know more about one of Scotland's most famous daughters and what happened to her next. “Growing up in the Highlands I was always sort of aware of Flora MacDonald's name especially as there's a prominent statue of her outside the castle in Inverness, but it was only when I looked into her life story that I realised how much more there was to her life after helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape. Her brief encounter with the Young Pretender happened in her early 20s but she lived until she was 68, surviving imprisonment, famine, emigration and war. With such a rich backdrop to her story, and with every autobiographical account she gave filtered through the men who wrote it down, I thought it would be interesting to explore how she might tell her epic life story in her own words.”
Featuring irresistibly beautiful, Scottish traditional-inspired music with a catchy, contemporary edge, from award-winning composers AJ Robertson (BBC Proms; The Seven Sorrows, Celtic Connections;) and John Kielty (Glasgow Girls; The Stamping Ground); Flora is a whirlwind of ensemble storytelling presenting her epic life story as if in her own words.
Writer Belle Jones added: “As well as deep-diving into her biography, I researched other Jacobean heroines and was struck by the fact that while many women took fearless, purposeful action for the cause they believed in, Flora seems to have been coerced into the situation which made her famous. This also felt like a really interesting element to explore: A reluctant heroine who just wanted to keep her family safe.”
Director Stasi Schaeffer added: “I am very interested in Scottish stories, especially untold ones and I was even more excited that it is a new musical. The way Belle is telling a historical story in a very modern way is compelling to me and will be a treat for audiences as well.”
Composer AJ Robertson shared: "It has been a really enjoyable experience to work with John to bring the story of Flora to life through Belle's lyrics. With John and I coming from different musical worlds, we have had fun fusing our styles to create something that feels rooted in tradition but with a contemporary edge."
Producer Michelle McKay commented: “I am always excited by new writing and exciting new voices and working with Belle since the inception of Flora, watching the show take shape and develop has been a joy. Belle is a real talent and it was no mean feat to make a compelling story from such a reluctant heroine. Blending the traditional with a modern twist throughout the production, we hope the audiences will be drawn in by Flora's story while having a great night at the theatre.”
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