One of Scotland's most celebrated contemporary authors is to have his work adapted for performance on the stage for the very first time.
Damian Barr, the Bellshill-born award winning writer and broadcaster has been working with Glasgow-based playwright James Ley in adapting Maggie and Me, the multiple-award winning memoir about coming of age and coming out in Thatcher's Britain, for performances in front of live theatre audiences.
And the results of the collaboration will be revealed for the first time in Scotland in May, next year.
Now based in Brighton, Mr Barr has been described as "one of the most connected men in publishing" who in 2008 created his own Literary Salon which celebrates established and emerging writers at events hosted online and across the UK and around the world.
He has hosted his own series for BBC radio called Guide Books, brought books back to television with The Big Scottish Book Club on BBC Scotland and iPlayer, and has hosted events at festivals including Hay, Edinburgh, and Cheltenham.
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Published in 2013, Maggie & Me was the 47-year-old author's second book and was named Sunday Times Memoir of the Year, awarded the Paddy Power Political Satire Award and Barr was named Stonewall Writer of the Year.
It is set against events on October 12, 1984, when Margaret Thatcher miraculously survives an IRA bomb blast that wrecks the Grand Hotel in Brighton.
Meanwhile in the North Lanarkshire village of Newarthill, eight-year-old Damian Barr watches in horror as his mum rips her wedding ring off and packs their bags, knowing he must also survive.
The book tells the tale of a rollercoaster ride through the author's painful past rediscovering who he really is.
From the furnaces of the Ravenscraig Steelworks to the sanctuary of the Roman Catholic shrine Carfin Grotto, there’s pain and joy, coming of age and coming out the other side in spite of, and maybe because of, the Iron Lady.
He discovers that stories can save your life and - in spite of violence, strikes, AIDS and Clause 28 - manages to fall in love dancing to Madonna in Glasgow's only gay club.
The new production from National Theatre of Scotland will premiere in Glasgow in May and tour Scotland with casting still to be announced.
Mr Barr said it was his first stage play, although he has written and co-written several radio plays.
“National Theatre of Scotland has given me some of my most memorable nights in the theatre so it’s a great honour to be bringing Maggie & Me to life on stage with them. Maggie & Me is not just my story - it’s about the community that survived Thatcher.
"I’m a huge fan of James Ley’s plays and especially what they say about identity. Writing with him has been a joy and I’ve learned so much about making the shift from page to stage. "
He described the play director Suba Das as "one of the most exciting theatre makers in the UK and added: "I am thrilled he’s lending us his unique and uniquely engaging vision".
Mr Barr added: "I’m dedicating this play to my family, to my family of choice and to everyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world.”
Maggie & Me Walk and Talk with Damian Barr and James Ley.
Opening at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow on May 9, 2024 for a three day run, it will go on to tour Scotland landing at Eden Court, Inverness (May 14); Perth Theatre (May 17-18); Cumbernauld Theatre (May 23); Dundee Rep Theatre (May 30 - June 1) and Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (June 11 - 15).
James Ley, co-writer of the play said: "I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of the team reimagining Damian’s joyous, funny, heartbreaking memoir for the stage. The chance to get to work with Damian, Suba and National Theatre of Scotland is a dream come true.
"The play is so much more than a memoir, it’s a vital check-in with the nation about what’s important to us, who we are and how we make sense of everything that’s thrown at us in life. Going on this journey with Damian has been as moving, hilarious and uplifting as I hope and believe the play will be when it gets in front of audiences next spring. I can’t wait!"
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