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Honorary Fellow: Association For Scottish Literary Studies

“If we investigate only by physical and chemical means, we can only get physical and chemical answers.”

Sir Alister Hardy, FRS

The Sash

Commissioned by Pool Lunchtime Theatre. Premiere Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 1973. Director Phil Emanuel

This stage play arose out of a 20-minute script commissioned by BBC Scotland Schools Broadcasting. The theme of the educational script was religious prejudice in Scotland. It was set in a folk club where a choice of songs, Scots and Irish, led to dramatic confrontation.

     

Some confrontation arose in BBC Scotland about having a play on that subject at all but after having been rejected by the Schools Radio department a production for Schools Television was commissioned and broadcast.

To gauge the validity of that decision a Catholic observer monitored the response of pupils in a non-denominational school, whilst debate in a Catholic school was monitored by a non-Catholic observer.

The level of interest generated and the quality of the subsequent discussions apparently justified the risk that had been taken by those involved. It seemed a good time to begin planning a play - The Sash - for theatre, on the same theme.

The new Pool Lunchtime Theatre in Edinburgh was looking for one-act plays and I undertook to let them have first sight of the stage version. Halfway through the first draft, when I told the theatre it was proving too big a subject for a short play, they decided to consider their first 2-act production.

Described as "five Celts caught in Two Acts", the play is set in Glasgow on the morning of the annual Orange Walk. Rather than the usual tragi-comedy, I asked that it be categorised as a comi-tragedy.

"must rate as one of the outstanding contributions to this year's Festival" The Stage

"The character of Bill MacWilliam, played with swinging magnificence by Andrew Keir, recalls O'Casey at his tragi-comic best. A cause for joy" The Times.

Some local critics were less impressed.

"Keir hints at the tragedy within this man .. but he is ultimately a caricature of all that the Orange Order represents to its opponents" The Scotsman

"it is sad to see Mr Keir, in one of his too rare appearances on the Scottish stage, with nothing more than this cartoon-image to spend his talent and experience upon" Glasgow Herald

In the close confines of the Pool Theatre - literally a back-shop in Edinburgh's Hanover Street - the critics were themselves almost on-stage. Attitudes changed after the production went on its first tour.

"in the more spacious Citizens' Theatre the drama and the humour open up gloriously .. has poured out of the Pool to refresh theatres throughout Scotland" The Scotsman

"Andrew Keir's performance .. remains a tremendous piece of bravura, and can now stretch itself to its full height as a really stunning display. It is something not to be missed" Glasgow Herald.

There being no organisation in Scotland capable of exploiting the success, Tontine Productions was formed. This partnership between Andrew Keir and the author mounted several successful revivals in Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre over the following two years, as well as a run at Hampstead Theatre Club, London.

Since then the play has been revived by a number of theatres, amateur and professional, and went to give 7:84 Theatre Company a highly successful tour of Scotland in 1989.

Another successful revival, directed by the author, was organised in 1991 by the specially-formed IPB Productions [Eileen Nicholas, Hamish Glen, Hector MacMillan]

A performance of The Sash at Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre was commissioned by BBC Television Scotland and recorded in 1974. It was never broadcast. It is unknown whether the video-tape survives or not.

Radio Telefis Eireann bought the rights to broadcast a production in 1979. I believe the play was recorded and broadcast from Dublin some time after that date.

Published Molendinar Press, Glasgow. 1974.