The Wolf of Poyais is a one-man play based on the astonishing true story of Gregor MacGregor a 19th-century adventurer who persuaded hundreds of people to invest in, and even emigrate to, a country that did not exist.
Complete with forged documents, land deeds and currency, his fictional Central American territory of Poyais became one of history’s boldest scams. Many set sail in search of a brand-new life, many died along the way, seeking a land born only of maps and madness.
Performed by Edinburgh Fringe veteran and actor and comedian, Thom Tuck (The Penny Dreadfuls, Drunk History, Horrible Histories), the show uses MacGregor’s extraordinary story to explore how, 200 years later, the mechanics of the con have barely changed – think cryptocurrency scams, AI deception and online grifters.
In the show, MacGregor addresses the audience directly as if he’s travelled forward in time, positioning himself as a lecturer, motivational guru and unapologetic mountebank eager to share the secrets of his success with a modern crowd. He guides the audience through the methods behind his infamous scheme, reframing deceit as ambition and corruption as entrepreneurship.
The Wolf of Poyais
photo credit: Emily Foxton
Then, MacGregor had land deeds and letters of introduction. Now, we have TED talks, cryptocurrency evangelists, wellness gurus and get-rich-quick podcasts. The Wolf of Poyais draws parallels between nineteenth-century fraud and today’s culture of wealth evangelism, financial scams and self-invention – asking why the language of the con remains so persuasive. The conman’s greatest asset has never been the scheme itself, but an understanding of what people want badly enough to stop asking questions. The tools may have changed. The desperate desire to believe has not.
The play holds up a mirror to why people are willing to believe extraordinary things.
Blue Bar Productions presents: The Wolf of Poyais
ASSEMBLY – Roxyboxy at Assembly Roxy
20:30 (60 mins) | 5th – 30th August (not 12th, 19th, 26th)
Blue Bar Productions is a new writing theatre company committed to creating high-quality, well-researched work that contributes to the debates of our time. Founded in 2022 by producer Becca Rowson and playwright Sam Went.
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