RETURNING 20 years later to his first role in the theatre gave Scott Kyle a lot to think about.
In Singing I’m No a Billy, He’s a Tim, which is coming to Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre in the autumn, he plays a Rangers fan who ends up in a jail cell with a Celtic fan. Bigotry, blind loyalty and, eventually, unity ensue.
“The whole point is that these are young guys, learning about life, doing a bit of growing up in that cell,” explains Scott.
“I wanted to do it again, me and the original guys, Colin [Little] and James [Miller], but I was struggling with the idea of us being older men now. I mean, men in their 40s should know better, right?”
Scott’s mind was changed, however, by Jade McDonald and Dionne Frati, the young women playing the lead roles in the female version of the production, which is on its way to the Edinburgh Fringe.
“They said, actually – no,” says Scott. “They pointed out that younger people are probably open to talking about this, whereas the older generation can be a bit more set in their ways. So it did make sense for us to do it.”
Twenty years on, the themes in Singing I’m No A Billy, He’s a Tim continue to resonate with modern audiences, agrees Scott. The play has been tweaked to include mentions of the new Scottish hate crime legislation, the conflict in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, but the message remains the same.
“It’s not supposed to be an educational piece, it’s entertainment, but I hope audiences do learn a lesson from it,” Scott says.
“I have spoken to people who have seen it who admitted it made them uncomfortable, made them think twice about maybe singing that song next time they’re at Ibrox or Parkhead.”
There was another reason Scott paused before agreeing to reprise the role of Billy in Des Dillon’s play.
In 2011, after a glorious evening’s performance in front of 3000 people at the then SECC, with plans afoot to head for London and abroad, Scott – who won the Stage best actor award for his performance at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe - was riding high on the success of the play he had transformed into a hit after discovering a copy in his local library.
And then…
“Des told me he was taking the play back, which was absolutely his right to do, we had no written contract,” explains Scott, bluntly.
“But it meant I lost everything that night.”
READ NEXT: Meet the Scottish actress starring in a play about Rangers and Celtic rivalry
He pauses. “I’d gone from working in a shop to being able to pay off my mum’s mortgage,” he says.
“People like me are not supposed to do things like that. You can have dreams, but no-one expects them to come true. I broke a mould, achieving what I did. So that night was a bitter blow.”
For the next few years, Scott landed a number of high profile roles including blacksmith Ross in Outlander and Clancy in the Ken Loach movie The Angels' Share, and parts in Trainspotting 2 and stage play Porno.
Occasionally, he’d see a poster for Singing I’m No a Billy, He’s a Tim in Glasgow, but he never went to see it.
“I couldn’t do it,” he says, with a shake of his head. “It wasn’t until a few years ago that I bumped into Des and he asked me if I’d be interested in taking on the play again.”
He pauses.
“I had to have a long, hard think about that.”
The two men had a “full and frank discussion”, according to Scott, and cleared the air.
“The first thing I did the next day was talk to a lawyer and get a contract drawn up,” he adds, wryly.
“The whole thing had taught me a big lesson – it’s not ‘showfriends’, it’s showbusiness.”
Now, after a “magical” run in London, the play is on its way to the Edinburgh Fringe, and the Glasgow Pavilion.
“It’s been pretty emotional,” says Scott, who is writing a book about his life and career.
The 41-year-old grew up in Rutherglen and graduated from drama college “realising the world was full of out of work actors and I was next,” he says, grinning.
“So I started looking for a play I could do myself and I found Singing I’m No A Billy, He’s a Tim in my local library.
“It changed my life.”
READ NEXT: 'Best Spanish food outside Spain': Strictly duo's favourite Glasgow spot
Widely considered a funny, moving and beautifully-written examination of the pointlessness of sectarianism, the play attracted big home crowds, while remaining mostly under the radar of the established UK theatre scene.
Scott is hoping to change that, with 70 performances at 50 venues now booked around the UK and Ireland over the next 18 months.
“There has also been interest from as far afield as Las Vegas,” adds Scott, smiling. “The cast are pretty excited about that idea."
Singing I’m No a Billy, He’s a Tim is at the Pavilion on September 13, and October 24 and 25. Singing I’m no a Billy, She’s a Tim will be at the venue in May, 2025.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here