National Theatre of Scotland to bring Billy Connolly play to Glasgow

A new play about the life of Billy Connolly will tour the country next month.

The National Theatre of Scotland will tour Dear Billy in theatres and community centres across Scotland.

Featuring stories from the general public about The Big Yin, the show has been created by Gary McNair, who wrote and performed the 2014 play Donald Robertson Is Not A Stand-Up Comedian.

Gary plans to gather more stories while on the road to make every show different.

“It’s a show about Billy Connolly, but it’s about the people of Scotland as much as anything else,” McNair said.

“The show is made up of everyone’s Billy story. Because every time you speak to someone about Billy Connolly, straight away they talk about the time they met him, or they went to see him, or what he means to them. They want to share it, and we’ve been lucky enough to collect all those stories and put them together into this show that culminates in finding out who Billy is.

“We think we know, but we find out who he is through the prism of us.”

National Theatre of Scotland director Jackie Wylie said: “He is one of the most loved figures in the history and contemporary life of Scotland.

“We’re going to leave a seat for him at every show, so that he knows he can come and learn about what he actually means to the people of Scotland.”

The Dear Billy tour starts in Edinburgh on 18 May, reaching the King’s Theatre on 22 and 23 June.