John Byrne, the renowned artist and creator of Scottish dramatic classics The Slab Boys and Tutti Frutti, has launched an outspoken attack on the state of Scotland's theatrical scene.

Byrne told a packed session of the Edinburgh International Book Festival last night that more small theatres and theatrical producers are needed for talent to blossom north of the Border.

He also claimed that Scotland does not value theatre, and writing, as highly as other countries, notably Ireland.

“There’s not enough independent theatres or producers in Scotland,” said Byrne. “When did you last see a Scottish play in the West End? Never. But Irish plays? Lots and that’s probably because they love their artists in Ireland, and they don’t love them as much here.

“We all love books here tonight, but we are in the minority – I hope in the new Scotland, which will come, they will change their tune, because there’s a lot of talent in this country and it’s not coming through. We have the talent, but I wish there were more small theatres to go with that talent.

“Small companies are still going but it would be good to have small theatres to go with them – it’s good to have a home.”

Byrne, who was being interviewed on stage about his life and work, a new art exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh, and his new children’s book, added: “There’s lots of things happening here in Scotland, but in Ireland it is celebrated – we could learn quite a lot from the Irish and their love of theatre and their love of literature.”

His words brought an immediate response from Andrew Dixon, chief executive of Scotland’s main arts funding body, Creative Scotland, who was in the audience.

Mr Dixon said he had been desperately trying to attract attention so that he could reply during the event.

He said that while Byrne, whose Tutti Frutti was revived by the National Theatre of Scotland, is a “huge talent” he needed to see the kind of contemporary Scottish theatre which is drawing good reviews at this year’s festival.

He added that often new theatrical plays do not need theatre buildings, but exist as site-specific works or in unconventional settings.

“I desperately wanted to speak to him, I was waving my hand, because he should see David Greig’s Monster in the Hall or The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart or David Harrower’s A Slow Air, or Adrian Howell’s May I Have the Pleasure?,” Mr Dixon said.

“There are a lot of great plays at the moment and they don’t need to be seen in London because they are touring around the world: Visible Fictions are touring around the US, so I don’t think there is a lack of interest in Scottish theatre.

“I will give him a copy of our Made in Scotland programme and would love to talk to him.”

Byrne said he had seen one play at the Fringe that had “got his heart rolling” – Silent at Dance Base – an emotion he also felt when seeing the National Theatre of Scotland’s Black Watch.

He said of Pat Kinevane’s Silent: “It gives you faith again, it’s a minor miracle.”

However, he added: “I went to Caledonia at last year’s Festival – we didn’t come back after the interval, because it was total crap. And that was the National Theatre of Scotland.

“It was very, as they say, disappointing.”