⏰ This event last took place in April 2025. Want to know how it went? Check out the gallery for photos and testimonials or Join our mailing list to be informed if we run it again! ⏰

William “Topaz” McGonagall is famous (or perhaps infamous) for having compiled some of the very worst poems every to have existed – including his 1880 lament on the Tay Bridge Disaster.

“Oh! Ill-fated bridge of the silv’ry Tay,
I now must conclude my lay
By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay,
That your central girders would not have given way,
At least many sensible men do say,
Had they been supported on each side with buttresses
At least many sensible men confesses,
For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed.”

This is, by a long margin, not his worst poem.

McGonagall’s life was one of melodrama and repeated failure… but somehow he carved out a place for himself in the Scottish poetry scene, becoming a beloved cult figure without ever displaying an ounce of poetic talent.

We think he deserves to be celebrated every bit as much as other more conventionally successful poets. And with this event, that’s exactly what we do.

McGonagall Night includes professional dramatic readings of the erstwhile poet’s best-known works, as well as a presentation on his life and many accomplishments, and a series of big-screen games that allow the audience to walk in McGonagall’s shoes.

Join us for terrible poetry, stories of calamity, and a history of one of Scotland’s most oft-derided historical figures.