Mat O'Shanter: A Cautionary Tale

Mat is a bit of a lad – definitely not a ‘good’ boy; a bit of a bully, out with the boys at all hours with no care for his parents’ anxieties. Out late one night after day with the gang who have sensibly left for their homes, the weather breaks. Mat must get going. He starts his cycle ride back to home and hearth. The rain pours down, the wind howls – there is a deserted building, he sees lights – maybe something he can join? But no – this is far more than that, a witches ceilidh no less, with Auld Nick in charge. And there in the crowd, the girl from school that he and his mates had harassed and bullied. If only Mat could have held his tongue. If only he had taken note of his parents’ wishes. If only he had really listened in school … This is not a tale that ends well

Simon Lamb takes on Robert Burns and the iconic poem Tam O’Shanter and does so with panache. Taking the metre, rhythm, format and indeed vocabulary of the original (it is a Scottish story), Lamb takes us on a rollicking journey full of colour and action. The scene setting is perfect – the end of the prom in Prestwick (yes, we are in a real town). There the lads hang out ‘as Kings of Cool’. Then time to leave. The storm is brought to graphic life not just through the words but also through the drama created by Ross MacRae’s energetic pen and ink illustrations that invade the pages, adding to and enhancing the verse. We follow Mat’s ride, we see the witches and warlocks – and Auld Nick not playing the pipes but here the DJ, while mixed with the traditional objects associated with the witch world there are, of course, mobile phones. The tale ends dramatically. Burns may be kinder to Tam, Lamb is writing a cautionary tale

‘But Mat has been a stupid boy/It’s not the bridge but flowing water/that can stop a Deil’s daughter…’

Lamb is clear about the setting, Prestwick a Scottish town and the language places the reader firmly in Scotland. However, this is tale for everyone to be read, and enjoyed – even better, performed There is a helpful glossary at the end as well as an autobiographical note in which Lamb tells us his personal experiences with Burns and his relationship with this poem, Tam O’Shanter. He also explains why his tale is so much more ‘cautionary’ than that of the original. For those who may not know this original the introduction gives a quick résumé. A masterly retelling both an homage and a truly contemporary narrative. Highly recommended.