Play brings Glasgow 'ned' culture of the 90s to life

“I was never caught up in it, luckily,” says the actor and writer, who lives in Airdrie. “The kind of silly shenanigans we got up to in our wee town was nothing compared to what was going on in the city.

“This was when knife crime was rife, when Glasgow became known as the 'murder capital of Europe' – the kind of stuff I learned while I was researching this play was eye-opening.”

Liam Lambie outside the Pavilion (Image: Newsquest/Colin Mearns)

This play is When We Were Young, a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred story of a teenage gang living in Glasgow in the 90s and early Noughties.

It is being performed by Geez A Break Productions, the theatre company set up by Liam and his partner Ross McAree, 

Liam plays Mooney, the leader of the gang, and Ross plays his more gentle brother Tam.

“It’s like a Glaswegian version of Blood Brothers,” says Liam, grinning.

“Mooney is a victim of circumstances, he’s caught up in a cycle of difficult circumstances and violence, and just doing what people expect him to do, really.

“Tam is a bit softer, he doesn’t really want to be there.”

The cast of When We Were Young (Image: Newsquest/Colin Mearns)

Liam, who is now 38, studied acting at Cardonald College.

“I never wanted to do anything else,” he says, simply.

“I’m lucky enough to have kept going, kept getting work. But at one point I thought, why am I putting myself through the stress of worrying about what to do between jobs, when I could just do it myself?"

“So I set up Geez A Break in 2015 and it’s been non-stop ever since.”

Ross McAree (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)

He grins. “Which is good, because I didn’t have a second option.”

When We Were Young has been so successful and well-received, theatres across the country have invited the group back for another run.

“We’re over the moon with the response,” says Liam, sounding slightly over-awed. “We have almost 20 venues booked for 2025.

“Our main work as a theatre company, our bread and butter, is in care homes, working with people who have dementia. Once a year, I write a show and we do a tour, then it’s put to the side and that’s usually it.”

He grins: “When We Were Young is the show that never stops – but I’m not complaining.”

The play will be at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow on August 16 and 17.

“We can’t wait – we’ve all grown up going to shows at the Pavilion and now we’re going to be performing there, which is amazing,” says Liam.

Thirty years after young teams terrorised parts of the city, Liam believe the picture has changed for the better - but adds a note of caution.

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“Young team culture is on the rise again, you hear about knife crime more often too,” he says.

“We’ve had a lot of parents coming to see the show with their teenage kids, saying - this is the reality. This is what can happen. So I think it is still a concern. Hopefully it won’t ever get back to the level of the 1990s.”

The language and subject matter mean When We Were Young is suitable for over-16s only, explains Liam, but alongside the grim nature of this story, there is plenty of humour.

Audiences love the sending up of Glasgow ned culture, the 90s references, and the close-to-the-bone jokes.

“Standing up there, listening to audiences howling with laughter – it’s a great thing,” nods Liam.

“But it’s not just two hours of ‘ah pumped yer maw’ jokes – there’s a message.

“The blood tends to bring people up short.”

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He pauses.

“We’re not preaching to anyone,” he adds, firmly. “We’re not lecturing, or giving out statistics, we are letting the story speak for itself.

“I think a lot of people can relate to the story. One person said to me they could recognise every single person on the stage.”

“It’s been pretty emotional.”

When We Were Young is at the Pavilion Theatre on August 16 and 17.