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John Peter McGrath, (June 1, 1935 – January 22, 2002), was a Liverpudlian-Irish playwright who grew up in Wales and notably took up the cause of Scottish independence in his plays.
He was mainly known for his work with the 7:84 Theatre Company. His best known play was The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil. The play blends the modern sensibilities of theatre with folk performance, slipping into techniques that are usually reserved for pantomime, encouraging the audience to vocally respond, by joining the choruses of various songs and in one scene warning a character of impending danger. Actors also take on multiple roles, and slip out of character to explain the ramifications of the action to the audience. The title refers to the clearing of the Scottish highlands to make way for grazing land, the subsequent use of this land by the wealthy for shooting, and its current exploitation in the oil market. These changes are linked as being recurrent forms of abuse of the land and the people by outsiders, and by wealthier locals.
