The Land That Never Was, a new play from emerging Scottish theatre maker Liam Rees, which tells the true story of Scotland’s most infamous con artist, asking audiences what and why they believe will premiere in Edinburgh and Glasgow this March, visiting Capital Theatres and the Tron Theatre, following a performance at Dublin’s Scene + Heard Festival in February 2025.
In 1820 Gregor MacGregor sold a country that didn’t exist.
In 2025 Liam Rees can’t stop lying to tourists.
The Land That Never Was tells the true story of Gregor MacGregor – yes, his real name – who, in 1820, announced that he was not only the son of a local Stirlingshire banker, but also the Prince of Poyais. In an attempt to capitalise on huge investment in colonial ventures in the new world, Gregor created a fictional country complete with parliament, honours system and coat of arms; successfully deceiving the British public, including two ill-fated boatfuls of hopeful emigrants.
This is a story about a group of strangers who collectively believed in something that doesn’t exist… yet. It is a story about us.
Blending traditional theatre, storytelling, and confessional stand-up, The Land That Never Was explores not only our collective identity and history of colonialism, but why people lie and why we are often desperate to believe them. The Land That Never Was sees Liam draw parallels between Gregor’s story and his own experiences as a bored Edinburgh tour guide lying to tourists, masterfully toying with the audience by presenting both charitable and unsympathetic accounts – ultimately asking what we’re willing to believe.
The Land That Never Was is the ambitious new work from theatre maker Liam Rees, developed with support from Vanishing Point, Capital Theatres, Summerhall, and National Theatre of Scotland. It previewed at London’s VAULT festival and Camden People’s Theatre in 2024. Liam has worked with the Traverse Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland, A Play, A Pie and A Pint, HOME Manchester, NTGent, Ontroerend Goed, and BRONKS. In 2025, he joins Dublin’s Dead Centre as an Associate Artist and will develop a new multimedia project with the Young Vic in London.
The Land That Never Was performs in Edinburgh at The Studio at Festival Theatre on Friday 14th March and in Glasgow at Tron Theatre on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd March, on whose streets Gregor MacGregor once employed balladists to sing of the beauty of Poyais.
