THERE is little dread comes with meeting playwright Alan Muir.

His latest comedy Losing The Rag, is a tale about the raging conflict in the newspaper industry.

The one-time local newspaper journalist who worked for the likes of the ‘Deep South’ (Stirling) edition of the Press &Journal, has focused on the digital/print debate.

He covers the ever-prickly area of job loses and centralisation of resources.

The play looks at clickbait, generational divides, the new platform argument – and the dinosaurs who love the spell of newsprint in the morning.

“There are three central characters in the play,” explains Alan, who now works in Information for a local authority.

“Derek Pride is the editor (Gerry Mulgrew) and he’s a real, old-fashioned newspaper man trying to cling on to print values.

“Reporter Susan Wallace (Louise Ludgate) tries to support Derek, meanwhile young reporter Barry McClough (Martin Donaghy) loves social media.”

We enter the world of the Avondale Advertiser when it is pitched into a competition with other papers in the group.

“The newspaper that gets the most website hits will be saved from the axe,” says Alan, with a wry smile.

“It’s a race against time. But more mistakes creep into the production of the paper as resources are depleted and brain cells lost.”

Alan Muir’s play is set to be staged at Glasgow’s Oran Mor where his previous effort, The Greatest (which told of a Glasgow boxer’s ‘fight’ with Cassius Clay) was not only a rampant success, it was re-staged recently, the first Oran Mor play to be reprised at the same venue.

But although the Cumbernauld-based writer has only produced two comedy plays, he brings a comedy experience to his work - and not all of it gleamed in the offices of the local newspaper.

“I’ve always tried to write,” he offers.

“I once wrote a novel that took me three years to complete and which no one wanted to read. Then I tried my hand at stand-up comedy.”

He adds, grinning; “I felt the writing was good but the delivery was, well, not good.

“I would go out there and tell stories and watch my audiences frown. It was like doing card tricks to a dog. But I don’t regret the experience. And I felt I could write funny material.”

Alan had no idea how to construct a play. But he’d seen a few.

“Stand-up gave me a belief I could be funny, and it was a case of coming up with the play to give me a voice.”

Unusually, Alan wrote two plays at the same time, The Greatest and Losing The Rag, then submitted them both to Oran Mor.

“It’s been a wonderful experience,” he says.

“In fact it’s been life-changing. Not in terms of being able to give up the day job but in terms of really being excited about the future.

“I love getting into the world a play can offer you. I love the idea that the characters you create can take on a life of their own, and come to dictate the way the plot will go.”

There is every chance Losing The Rag will reflect the emotion the writer has for the newspaper world.

“I didn’t want to leave papers,” he says in soft voice.

“But the writing was on the wall. Local newspapers were suffering the death of a thousand cuts and with two children to look after I really had to think to the future.”

What were his stand-out moments from his days in print?

“Well there were the really dark times – you know what it’s like when you have to knock on doors or write a story you know will upset people - but there were lots of great times, where the office was a great place to be and filled with fun.

“And I loved finding the local stores that became national. I remember doing a story once about a woman who wanted to be rehoused by the Council because her old flat was haunted.

“She had the Ouija bored out, she was so spooked, and talked of things being moved about during the night, unexplained objects.

“But during the interview I looked over at her son, who was smirking. I thought ‘I’ve found the ghost!’ But I ran the story anyway and all the dailies picked it up.”

He adds; “I also interviewed a local who had been on Countdown, but was told to cover up his chest hair. The nationals picked up on that one.”

He thinks for a moment and a nostalgic tear almost makes it to his eye.

“I miss that variety of life. I miss the characters I came up against.

“And I hope that comes across in this play, even though I’m having lots of fun with that world.”

* Losing The Rag, Oran Mor, Glasgow, until Saturday.