River City star on new play about 'gay Glasgow Peaky Blinders'

Their story is brought to life in Meet Me at the Knob, a raucous musical which is the latest offering in Oran Mor’s A Play a Pie and A Pint lunchtime theatre series.

“It’s incredible – I think Johnny [McKnight] heard the story and thought, wow, this could be a big Glesga gay Peaky Blinders,” says Darren, with a laugh.

Darren with Dylan Wood and Tom Urie in rehearsal for Meet Me at the Knob (Image: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan)

“As soon as I read it, I was completely on their side. Yes, they commit crimes, yes, these are not pleasant things to do, but these were desperate times. These men were trying to survive in a world which did not even want them to exist.”

Unlike the Peaky Blinders (Birmingham’s vicious razor gangs brought to life in the long-running BBC series of the same name) the White Hats did things a little bit differently.

“They dressed in drag, stole, sold their bodies and bribed government officials and wealthy clients with the threat of turning them in to the police for acts of homosexuality which was illegal at the time,” explains Darren.

“I play Liz, or William Paton, who is the leader of the gang. I think of him like a Fagin-style character, completely off the wall, a gangster who has power and is feared in this odd Glasgow underworld, but who is trying to protect the boys in the gang.”

Despite its historical roots, this is a story with significant contemporary relevance, says Darren.

“Look at what’s happening in Florida and Texas [where laws were introduced that protestors felt targeted drag queens] and even closer to home, here in Scotland in the 21st century, where people got upset about drag queens reading stories to schoolchildren,” he frowns.

“It is ridiculous. I don’t know if many people realise Johnny studied law, but it’s something he’s spoken to us a lot about – the difference between the law, and justice.

“Who is making the law, and who is it meant to protect? You hear stories about people like the White Hats, and it feels like we’re just going round in circles.”

Darren is well-known as a leading light on Glasgow’s panto scene.

Darren in panto at the Tron Theatre (Image: Tron Theatre)

After 10 glittering years at the Tron, he is now dazzling at the King’s, where his most recent appearances have included Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. This year, he is bringing his “unashamedly queer, high campery” back to the Bath Street venue to play the Spirit of the Mirror in Snow White.

Darren in panto at the King's (Image: King's Theatre)

“There was always the freedom to bring that energy to the Tron, so it’s great that bigger venues like the King’s are embracing it too,” he says. “If I had seen someone like me on stage when I was growing up, I’d have thought – you’re going be fine, it’s all okay. So it’s great, I love it.”

Darren grew up in Paisley, where he first fell in love with acting at PACE youth theatre group. He studied musical theatre at Knightswood Secondary’s Dance School of Scotland, and appeared in a string of telly roles (My Barmy Aunt Boomerang, Love me Tender, The James Gang) with his identical twin brother David.

“Because we were young, they could only have one of us on screen for a set amount of time, so by using both of us they could film for longer,” he grins.

“Then I went to the Arts Educational School in London, did some work on the West End, hated it – I think I realised pretty quickly that as a dancer in the West End, your career is going to be short-lived.

“I was asking myself – why are you training for so long, for something that will be over in a couple of years? So I went to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, did a Masters, and the rest is history…”

Last year, Darren joined the cast of long-running drama River City on BBC Scotland to play Mikey Duff, larger-than-life assistant to new doctor Gillian Gibson (played by Gail Watson). His first storyline was a meaty one – discovering he was related to Shieldinch’s mighty O’Hara family.

Darren with Gail Watson as Mikey and Gillian in River City (Image: BBC)

“Oh, I am over the moon to be part of River City,” he exclaims. “Just to be a small part of this amazing history is fantastic.

He adds, with a laugh: “I mean, I used to watch these people on telly, after my dinner, when I was a boy. Now they’re playing my aunties.

“It’s fast-paced and you have to be on your toes, but it’s brilliant.”

Darren stars with Tom Urie and Dylan Wood in Meet Me At the Knob, which features original music by Novasound, Scotland’s only female-run recording and production studio comprised of Lauren Gilmour and Franz Ferdinand drummer Audrey Tait.

It runs from June 5 to 10.