CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR EVENT

National Theatre of Scotland announce full cast and creative team for Maggie & Me

Full cast and creatives announced for the tour of Maggie & Me, the first stage adaptation of Damian Barr's award-winning memoir touring UK in May and June!

National Theatre of Scotland announce full cast and creative team for Maggie & Me

Article Source: National Theatre of Scotland
Last Updated: 18 March 2024 11:02

Maggie & Me, Damian Barr’s award-winning and darkly witty memoir about growing up gay in Thatcher’s Britain is coming to stages across the UK, in a bold and explosive new production led by a queer creative team.

Damian Barr is adapting his memoir for the stage, teaming up with Scottish playwright James Ley and directed by Suba Das.

This new production from National Theatre of Scotland premieres at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow in May 2024 before touring to Inverness, Perth, Cumbernauld, Dundee, Northampton and Edinburgh.

“Don’t you worry. I’ll always love you. Love doesn’t run out. It’s not like the gas meter. I’ll find extra love.”

Brighton, 2008: Damian Barr celebrates getting a deal to write a memoir about his chaotic childhood in 1980s Lanarkshire. But as soon as he opens the door to his troubled past, everybody comes rushing through, including his younger self and the woman who forever changes his family, community and country: Maggie Thatcher.
Soon, revisiting his past turns into reliving it – the fear and the joy. From the furnaces of the Ravenscraig Steelworks to the sanctuary of Carfin Grotto, there’s trauma and triumph, coming of age and coming out. It’s about friendship and family, finding your voice and fighting to tell your story. Can Damian survive his past again?

Past and present collide, endangering the future, in an explosive quest that tells the story of a particular place and time through Damian’s childhood. Before you can move forwards, you have to go back…

In Maggie & Me, Damian will come face to face with his past. DB will be played by Gary Lamont, who will be familiar to Scottish audiences from his role as Robbie Fraser in River City, and most recently seen in Boiling Point, both the Netflix film and BBC television continuation. Wee DB will be played by Sam Angell, who is making his National Theatre of Scotland debut. He started his career playing Billy Elliot in Stephen Daldry’s West End production in 2008.

Beth Marshall will be taking on the titular Maggie Thatcher, who finds herself pulled into Damian’s world. Recent stage credits include Fleg, The Spark, and Mary and Ada Set The World to Rights (A Play, a Pie and a Pint) and Mrs Puntilla and his Man Matti (Royal Lyceum Theatre), and television credits include Still Game, Shetland and River City. Last year, Beth worked with National Theatre of Scotland in Hannah Lavery’s radio play Finding Seaglass (co-prod with Almost Tangible for BBC Radio 4).

Both making their National Theatre of Scotland debut, Nicola Jo Cully will be playing Mum, and Douglas Rankine will be playing Dad. Nicola Jo Cully has appeared on screen in Doctors, Outlander, Waterloo Road, River City and Casualty. Stage credits include Welcome to Bannockburn (A Play, a Pie and a Pint) and Prism (Scottish Theatre Producers). Douglas Rankine is returning to Scottish stages for the first time since 2006, where he appeared in Faust (Royal Lyceum Theatre). His film credits include The Death & of John F. Donovan and Sunset Song, and television credits includes The Pigeon Tunnel (Apple TV+), Traces, Casualty, River City, Peaky Blinders and The Dumping Ground (BBC).

Completing the cast are Grant McIntyre as Mark and Joanne Thomson as Heather. Grant McIntyre’s recent stage credits include Scots (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), The Addams Family UK tour and Oor Wullie (Dundee Rep). Joanne Thomson is an actor, writer and director, She was nominated twice for Best Actress categories at the IARA Awards for her role in In Plain Sight (ITV) and will be familiar to audiences from her role in Outlander as Amy McCallum. Stage credits as an actress include The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Royal Exchange Manchester), and Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic, Royal Lyceum Theatre).

A creative team including Kenneth MacLeod, Set and Costume Designer (Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning for National Theatre of Scotland and Aberdeen Performing Arts, and Battery Park for Sleeping Warrior Theatre); Struan Leslie, Movement Director, (founding Head of Movement at the Royal Shakespeare Company) and Tim Reid, Video Designer (Quiz – Chichester Festival Theatre, 1984 - West End and Broadway and The Grand Old Opera House Hotel – Traverse Theatre) will create a kaleidoscope of memory spanning two decades, weaving in use of iconic 80s archive footage and live onstage camera work.

Published in 2013, Maggie & Me was named Sunday Times Memoir of the Year, awarded the Paddy Power Political Satire Award and Barr was named Stonewall Writer of the Year.

There will be a chance for audiences to hear more about bringing the memoir to the stage from Damian at two special events in Edinburgh and Motherwell, and from Damian and co-writer James together in Glasgow. More details about these events will be available soon.

The National Theatre of Scotland will be collaborating with film and video students from New College Lanarkshire to create a short documentary about the making of the production.

Maggie & Me was highly acclaimed upon publication and has established itself as a Scottish classic memoir. This is the first time it has been adapted for the stage.

‘Funny, tender, and heartbreaking.’ The Independent
‘Certain memoirs catch a moment and seem to define it, bottle it... Hugely entertaining.’ The Sunday Times
‘A memoir which is both personally moving and a valuable historical document.’ Literary Review

Touring to Tron Theatre, Glasgow Tues 7 to Sat 11 May; One Touch, Eden Court Tues 14 May to Wed 15 May; Perth Theatre Fri 17 May to Sat 18 May; Cumbernauld Theatre Thurs 23 May to Sat 25 May; Dundee Rep Theatre Thurs 30 May to Sat 1 June; Royal & Derngate, Northampton Thurs 6 June to Sat 8 June; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Tues 11 June to Sat 15 June

Sponsored Links

Glasgow Science Centre
St Columba's School
Renfrewshire Council

Latest Renfrewshire News

Award winning show Stuntman comes to Paisley Arts Centre

Award winning show Stuntman comes to Paisley Arts Centre

Award-winning Scottish company SUPERFAN will bring their high-octane smash hit Edinburgh Fringe show Stuntman to Paisley Arts Centre on Wednesday 17th September!

READ MORE
Spooky season returns to town with the announcement of Paisley Halloween Festival 2025

Spooky season returns to town with the announcement of Paisley Halloween Festival 2025

Paisley Halloween Festival will return to town next month to celebrate the spooky season with a packed programme of frightful fun for all the family!

READ MORE
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.

READ MORE
Cineworld 4DX Rewind returns for 2025

Cineworld 4DX Rewind returns for 2025

Cineworld is excited to announce the return of 4DX Rewind this September across Cineworld 4DX cinemas nationwide!

READ MORE
Final countdown to the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run 2025 is on

Final countdown to the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run 2025 is on

Scotland's greatest running event, the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, will return to Glasgow next month, and there’s still time to secure your place.

READ MORE
Marstons and Tom Shepherd join forces once more to serve up the best ever pub pie

Marstons and Tom Shepherd join forces once more to serve up the best ever pub pie

Marston's and Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd have teamed up once more to serve up The Best Ever Pub Pie to locals across the country.

READ MORE
Edinburgh Fringe smash hit Oran embarks on first UK tour

Edinburgh Fringe smash hit Oran embarks on first UK tour

Òran, the award-winning sell-out hit of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe embarks on its first ever UK tour this autumn as company Wonder Fools take their work to a host of venues across Scotland.

READ MORE
M&Ds teams up with Zombie Infection for a heart pounding, live action horror attraction

M&Ds teams up with Zombie Infection for a heart pounding, live action horror attraction

M&D's is set to transform into Scotland's Scream Park with the launch of Zombie Checkpoint, a live action immersive horror experience creating a heart racing adventure not for the faint hearted.

READ MORE
Iconic films to take centre stage at Vue venues in Scotland

Iconic films to take centre stage at Vue venues in Scotland

Iconic movies celebrating key milestones this year are returning to Vue for a limited run - including Steven Spielberg classic Jaws.

READ MORE
20 expert sessions at The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show

20 expert sessions at The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show

The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show will be packed with expert speakers when it returns to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on 4th – 5th October 2025.

READ MORE
A Taste of Loch Lomond Book launches with live cooking demo at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival

A Taste of Loch Lomond Book launches with live cooking demo at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival

Love Loch Lomond will officially launch its new publication, A Taste of Loch Lomond – Stories and Flavours from the Bonnie Banks, at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 7th September.

READ MORE
Seriously fun ideas for your work Christmas Party

Seriously fun ideas for your work Christmas Party

It might only be September, but the C-word is not too far away, so it's time to start thinking about planning the annual office Christmas shindig before everything gets booked up!

READ MORE
Winners of the 2025 Love Paisley Star Awards unveiled

Winners of the 2025 Love Paisley Star Awards unveiled

The winners of this year's Love Paisley Star Awards have been announced.

READ MORE
Business Gateway launches its first ever Scottish Start Up Month

Business Gateway launches its first ever Scottish Start Up Month

Business Gateway, Scotland's national business support service, has launched Scottish Start-Up Month, a nationwide campaign to celebrate Scotland's entrepreneurial spirit.

READ MORE
Young people bring colour to Paisley through new murals

Young people bring colour to Paisley through new murals

Young people have created three vibrant new murals to transform an area of Seedhill, Paisley.

READ MORE
Iconic buildings across Renfrewshire set to welcome visitors for Doors Open Days 2025

Iconic buildings across Renfrewshire set to welcome visitors for Doors Open Days 2025

Spectacular venues from across Renfrewshire will welcome visitors as part of this year's Doors Open Days.

READ MORE
Fresh new line up for one of the biggest FREE food and drink festivals in Scotland

Fresh new line up for one of the biggest FREE food and drink festivals in Scotland

Vikings, a pie eating competition, new celebrated chef and dog & duck shows set to bring new energy to Loch Lomond Food and Drink Festival this September.

READ MORE
From pouring pints to the red carpet: The Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2025 crowns its hospitality stars!

From pouring pints to the red carpet: The Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2025 crowns its hospitality stars!

The winners of the 2025 Scottish Bar & Pub Awards were unveiled on the 26th of August at a glittering, Oscars-themed ceremony held at the Doubletree by Hilton, Glasgow.

READ MORE
Best Croissant Competition returns for 2025

Best Croissant Competition returns for 2025

The Edinburgh Butter Company has announced the return of its ‘Scotland’s Best Croissant’ competition on Monday 13th October.

READ MORE
GlasGLOW announces all new show for 2025, inspired by the legendary 80s campaign that made Glasgow smile

GlasGLOW announces all new show for 2025, inspired by the legendary 80s campaign that made Glasgow smile

itison has confirmed that GlasGLOW will return to the Botanic Gardens from 24th October – 2nd November for its eighth year and with its biggest show yet... GlasGLOW's Miles Better!

READ MORE
Historic Environment Scotland launches Talking About Heritage

Historic Environment Scotland launches Talking About Heritage

People across Scotland invited to take part in national conversation about heritage.

READ MORE
Tickets now on sale for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Tickets now on sale for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo closes the drawbridge on its 75th anniversary Show, as tickets for next year go on sale.

READ MORE
Beat the Street is returning to Renfrewshire

Beat the Street is returning to Renfrewshire

An interactive game encouraging people of all ages to get active and explore their local surroundings is set to return to towns and villages across Renfrewshire this autumn.

READ MORE
Momentum builds at Braehead with surge in sales, footfall and leasing

Momentum builds at Braehead with surge in sales, footfall and leasing

SGS UK Retail has announced that Braehead Shopping Centre is going from strength to strength, headlining outstanding sales and footfall growth for the year to date.

READ MORE
Primark celebrates 50 years in Scotland with a wee nod to loyal Scots in all stores today

Primark celebrates 50 years in Scotland with a wee nod to loyal Scots in all stores today

Scottish shoppers will hardly believe it when they see it today as Primark finally relents on one of its biggest brand debates after 50 years.

READ MORE
Christmas at Crieff Hydro returns with magical line up of festive activities

Christmas at Crieff Hydro returns with magical line up of festive activities

Scotland's best loved family resort, Crieff Hydro, has unveiled details of a specially curated programme of events as it prepares to welcome guests over the festive period.

READ MORE
Scots Language Awards 2025 shortlist unveiled

Scots Language Awards 2025 shortlist unveiled

The shortlist for the Scots Language Awards 2025 has been unveiled, with figures from Scottish literature, theatre, education and business all in the running for awards at the annual ceremony.

READ MORE
Innis & Gunn wins double gold at the World Beer Awards 2025

Innis & Gunn wins double gold at the World Beer Awards 2025

Innis & Gunn has claimed double gold on the global stage, winning best in Scotland for the second year running at the World Beer Awards.

READ MORE
Home town hero Callum Hawkins wins record breaking Paisley 10k

Home town hero Callum Hawkins wins record breaking Paisley 10k

More than 5,500 people have taken part in the Paisley 10k and 3k Fun Run, setting a new record for the event.

READ MORE
Santa Claus is coming to Dobbies

Santa Claus is coming to Dobbies

From exciting encounters with Santa himself to hands-on workshops and joyful family moments, Dobbies is the destination for festive fun this Christmas!

READ MORE

Sponsored Links

One Ren
TGC Leisure
Hostelworld
ATG

Sponsored Links

Glasgow Science Centre
St Columba's School
Renfrewshire Council
One Ren
TGC Leisure
Hostelworld
ATG

Popular Events

Farmer Fletcher’s Pumpkin Patch
With thousands to choose from, grab your wellies and come along to Farmer Fletcher's Pumpkin Patch to find your perfect pumpkin in the run up to Halloween!
Lush Braehead Halloween Party Workshops
Join the team at Lush Braehead this October Half Term for one of their spooky spectacular bath bomb workshops!
Paisley Halloween Festival
Get ready for Halloween in Paisley, where gothic creatures and macabre masterpieces await... Paisley Halloween Festival, one of the biggest and best of its kind in the UK, returns for 2025!
National Theatre Live: Mrs. Warren’s Profession
Filmed live from the West End, Mrs. Warren's Profession reunites Imelda Staunton with director Dominic Cooke, exploring the clash between morality and independence, traditions and progress.
Braehead Centre Recruitment Event
Braehead Shopping Centre is excited to announce the return of its Recruitment Event on 24th & 25th September with hundreds of vacancies now available with popular retailers across the centre.

Popular Listings

Beacon Arts Centre Braehead Arena Johnstone Town Hall Old Swan Inn Paisley Paisley Abbey Paisley Arts Centre Paisley Town Hall Robertson Park Renfrew The Bungalow Paisley Venue Paisley