Dear Billy – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Why is Gary McNair’s ode to master comedian, Billy Connoly, Dear Billy, excellent?

1. It is the authentic voice of Scotland.
2. It has perfect comic timing.
3. Every man and woman portayed is distinct in characterisation.
4. The words are all true – not a single piece of fiction.
5. The idea is brilliantly simple while the execution looks simple, but is, in fact, brilliantly compiled, composed and performed – not simple at all.
6. He makes it funny.

I take my hat off to you, Mr McNair, and your team of story-gatherers. This is a fabulously funny, tender, and varied piece of theatre which had me in stitches, and I’m not a die-hard Billy Connolly fan, like some of the audience in this full-house.

It is the breadth of commentary/recollections that makes this piece sparkle – stories of Billy’s kind-heart are counterposed by those who swear he ripped off their jokes.

The inflection and content of some of the interviewees is so very Scottish in character. Scotland loves a joke. The humorous “psychopath to Inverness” bike lane sign on the A9 was removed recently, but it encapsulates the Scottish sense of daftness which Billy Connolly loves and exploits so warmly. This is a country that gives it’s gritters names: the snowclaimers; for your ice only; licence to chill.

McNair captures the rhythm and tone of so many Scottish “types”. This piece is a faithful transcript and piecing together of the (wo)man in the street who was asked what they thought of Billy Connolly. It is perfect. Frank, enthusiastic, honest. Thank you, Robbie Gordon, Jacqueline Houston, Genevieve Jagger and Jamie Marie Leary for gathering such entertaining stories and recollections.

Billy Connolly appreciates absurdity. He’s a consummate story-teller and these renditions of what has been said about Billy and how it was said, is just so Billy Connolly. He observed and captured the true humour of his fellow Scots and here we have that echoed back at him.

The music added colour and texture, thanks to Jill O’Sullivan and Simon Liddell while Karen Forbes did a great job with the BSL, making the show accessible to the hard of hearing.

McNair calls his director, Joe Douglas, his co-pilot and is quick to thank the people of Scotland and his whole creative team, and the producers, the National Theatre of Scotland, for making this show possible.

Catch it if you can. It’s ninety minutes of joy.

Playing nationally through May and June.

Reviewer – Kathleen Mansfield

Reviewed: 20th May 2023

North West End UK Rating: