New 5* show from the National Theatre of Scotland - Dear Billy, written and performed by Gary McNair, celebrating what Billy Connolly means to the people of Scotland, ends it tour of Scotland with a special three day run at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow from Thursday 22 to Saturday 24 June.
The gallery at the King’s Theatre has been opened and extra tickets have been released due to unprecedented demand.
The show celebrates what Billy Connolly means to Glasgow where the legendary Scot was born.
World Premiere
National Theatre of Scotland presents
DEAR BILLY
A Love Letter to the Big Yin
From the People of Scotland
Written and performed by Gary McNair, Directed by Joe Douglas.
Music performed and composed by Simon Liddell and Jill O’Sullivan, Set and Costume designed by Claire Halleran, Lighting design by Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes.
At the King's Theatre Glasgow Thursday 22 June to Saturday 24 June, concluding a tour of Scotland.
There’s a guy. You know him. You know… big hair, wee beard, glasses, talks like that. You know? You know. The guy…The Big Yin.
Billy Connolly needs no introduction. He is a national treasure. From the shipyards of the Clydeside to his trailblazing and extraordinary stage and movie exploits, he is woven into Scottish culture.
Everyone has a Billy Story.
An expert team of story gatherers has created a collection of these moving and hilarious tales. Gary McNair, one of Scotland’s best theatre makers, has turned these stories into a special show celebrating the Big Yin and what he means to the people of Scotland.
Dear Billy is a unique touring production that has evolved on the road. It has travelled the length and breadth of Scotland, visiting local theatres, art and community centres, building up to this final run at the Kings Theatre in Glasgow, having gathered some stories along the way. The production was announced last year to mark Billy Connolly’s 80th birthday year.
Gary has hit the road with musicians, collecting more stories from audience members which have been woven into the show as the tour progressed.
Each show offers a unique chance to audiences, to laugh, sing, and celebrate the man and the legend. The King's Theatre is the final stop on the tour, and due to popular demand, the Gallery in the Theatre has been opened up for audiences, with tickets available at £13 pounds. There are also £5 tickets available to those aged 16-25, or claiming Universal Credit, as part of NTS 'Theatre for a Fiver scheme'. Full details can be found here.
Dear Billy is written and performed by leading Scottish theatre-maker Gary McNair, who work has been celebrated on the international stage.
Directed by Joe Douglas (The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black Black Oil).
Musicians joining Gary will be Simon Liddell and Jill O’Sullivan.
Billy Connolly hails from Glasgow, and was born at 69 Dover Street, Anderson, "on the linoleum, three floors up, at six o'clock in the evening". He went on to work in the shipyards along the Clyde before pursuing a career in folk music, and eventually comedy.
One of Connolly's most famous folk songs is 'I Wish I Was In Glasgow', where he sings that "Glasgow gave me more than it ever took away and prepared me for life on the road."
In the 1970s, Connolly performed a two-week run of sold out shows at the King's Theatre in Glasgow, where Dear Billy's tour comes to an end. Billy described the King's Theatre as feeling "like you were performing inside a wedding cake". For the whole two week run, the infamous Pastor Jack Glass stood outside condemning Billy as a blasphemer.
🎟️Glasgow info and tickets: Dear Billy Tickets | King's Theatre, Glasgow in Glasgow | ATG Tickets
📸 Poster and location photos: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
📸 Production Photos: Sally Jubb.
**I have been invited by NTS to review this show in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Whether I am invited or not has absolutely no impact on my reviews or star ratings!**
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