MARTIN Compston has spoken out about the new drama Mayflies ahead of tonight's showing. 

The two-part show was filmed in and around Glasgow and tackles the controversial subject of assisted dying.

It will be aired on BBC Scotland tonight and tomorrow.

READ MORE: Interview with Martin Compston on role in BBC drama Mayflies

Set in the summer of 1986, Jimmy (Martin) and Tully (Tony Curran) are best friends who love music, films and the rebel spirit, and they are heading to Manchester for one, glorious weekend.

Thirty years later, Tully calls Jimmy with a devastating piece of news, and a request that will test their friendship to the limit.

In an interview with BBC Scotland, Compston spoke about his time on set, the emotional topic of the show, and how he hopes it will spark a conversation. 

He said: "When it is something about assisted dying, especially on such a topic like this, we have to be neutral, and I do think we do a good job of showing both sides of the debate.

"It’s one of those ones when you get it, you think this is just beautiful writing. And then it isn't until you're actually on set day after day you’re going, oh man, what have I signed up for here, in the best possible way, because every scene for the older one of us is really emotionally challenging.

"I've said this before, it's the most emotionally present I've ever been on a job. We’ve got different mechanics and tools as actors to get you where you need to be for emotional scenes and I've killed off all my family and friends in my head over the years and remembered dogs passing away and all that thing.

"But with this, just with the subject matter and the talent of the cast around you, you didn't need to go anywhere. You could just be present. And also having somebody like a close friend Tony Curran going with it, it didn't feel like you were going through it alone."

The drama is adapted by Andrea Gibb from Andrew O’Hagan’s acclaimed novel of the same name.

READ MORE: Martin Compston shares photos of 'fantastic' filming of Mayflies in Glasgow

Compston added: "It's always tough because it's not directly Andrew, but it is such a personal story for him, but there is pressure to an extent cause you just wanna do it justice, especially when it's such good scripts.

"The weekend before we started filming I was at Irvine Welsh's wedding and I knew Andrew was going to be there, and I was kind of terrified cause I went, oh, like, I don't know what, it's just the excitement before it.

"But Andrew was fantastic. He just said, look, you've got the part, you go do it the way you're going to do it, and if you need anything, I'll be here for you.

"And I do think it's important that you've gotta give people their space to get on with it. And he was nothing but support. When it is something about assisted dying, you know, especially on such a topic like this, we’re a BBC show, we have to be neutral, and I do think we do a good job of showing both sides of the debate.

"I just hope we spark a conversation because from my point of view, you know, I'm a patron of a hospice. I think they do wonderful end-of-life care. But when you do your research, you read about these heartbreaking stories about people. They have no other option but to go to a foreign country miles away from home and their family to end their life.

"So, we don't have the answers, but we just hope that this, because there is a bigger debate needed about it, and it needs to be a more informed debate. So I'm just hoping that's what we can do."