There can be little doubt that comedian and raconteur Billy Connolly is a national treasure. So it’s quite a challenge to tell the story of the ‘Big Yin’, but this is exactly what writer Gary McNair has done in his play Dear Billy: A Love Letter to the Big Yin.
It’s the result of many years of research, asking ordinary people up and down the country to share their memories and experiences of Billy. These rich and often funny anecdotes form the basis of this highly enjoyable show.
Claire Halleran's beautiful set design highlights Billy’s trademark props. Dominating the curtained set at the back of the stage are a huge pair of wire glasses and, at the front, a welly boot and, of course, a banana, all lit with colourful, changing, neon-style lights.
Accompanying the stories are two talented musicians, Simon Liddell and Jill O’Sullivan, whose melodic score enhances the tales.
Gary McNair, whose physical resemblance to Billy is uncanny, enthusiastically brings these many stories to life using the words of real people and embraces their characters.
So we learn about Billy’s childhood, his home in Partick and his schooldays, the violence and the religious squabbles. We’re told he went straight from the schoolyard to the shipyard. It was hard work. Billy left the shipbuilders to sing songs, and so his showbiz career began.
Later on, we hear about Billy’s Parkinson's and the charity work he freely undertakes. His message is of hope for the future. There are many songs in the production that we happily all joined in singing.
Throughout the performance, McNair keeps on referring to a card on a stool. Apparently, Billy used this technique and on it were written three words: “Say Something Funny”, and McNair certainly did just that.
He is a consummate performer and you can feel the passion he has for Billy and the voices of the people of Scotland and the audience in this sold-out show—loved it.