Alba playwright puts working-class voices on stage at Edinburgh Fringe

The National

2 days ago

The Glaswegian isn't afraid to tackle controversial issues either.
Fresh from touring Alba, his critically acclaimed show about the Scottish independence referendum, he is about to stage a play dealing with toxic masculinity.
Full of Glaswegian patter, it's one of three pieces of Scottish theatre presented by Underbelly during the Fringe this year and seems set to be as much of a hit as Alba.
'I'm pouring all my savings into it to get us there, but I think it's worthwhile,' he told the Sunday National. 'When we did Alba, we only did 12 days and we made the money back that we put in, plus a wee bit more.
'I think Going Soft has a broader appeal, so we'll hopefully see an increase in audience numbers for this and we've got a better spot during the day. The last show, with a name like Alba, had the potential to turn people away if they just assumed it was about a certain political party or a certain political view.'
With prices now so high for renting venues and accommodation at the Fringe, making sure Scottish working-class voices are heard is becoming more difficult, but Byrne feels it is essential for Scottish actors, playwrights and theatre companies to continue to take part.
'It's something I'm passionate about and I've got a goal going into it, but the prices are just going up and up,' he said. 'For working-class people, being able to just put on a show, you're just getting out-priced.
'But as Scots, we've got to make sure we've still got a seat at the table and we've still got a voice in this festival, especially when it's on our home turf, so that we can network with other artists from Scotland and also globally.'
Byrne agrees there is a danger that Scottish voices could be squeezed out but is optimistic this can be overcome.
'It's always a possibility with the amount of stuff from elsewhere that it starts to diminish the Scottish voice,' he said. 'But I think we'll always be loud, as a people and as a nation. I don't think we'll let ourselves go quietly. There'll always be somebody there shouting for us.'
Making sure that some of those voices are working class is what led him to start his theatre company, Action Theatre Scotland.
'That's something that we really push,' he said. 'The goal with the last show and now with this one is to get working-class voices on the stage and heard, because you don't hear them as much on this kind of platform, especially when it's the world's biggest arts festival. We want to carve out a wee space for working-class theatre. It's nice to get a voice out there.'
Going Soft is centred on a Glasgow prison-themed bar where the co-owners are attempting to set up an adults-only soft play.
'I always want to focus on issues that are prevalent in society,' said Byrne. 'That's why we're called Action Theatre Scotland – because we want to focus on important issues in a kind of call to action.'
He believes toxic masculinity, the focus of the recent hit TV series Adolescence, is still a huge problem in society.
'It's a real issue because young men feel they need to act a certain way and can't just express themselves or be themselves, so I wanted to tell that story through this lens of the two working-class guys in working-class Glasgow, and show my experience of it,' said Byrne.
Going Soft was inspired by prison-themed bars south of the Border where punters are presented with orange jumpsuits to wear while they are drinking.
'I want to put my spin on it, a Glaswegian spin, so it is a fast-paced, high-energy show, dealing with heavier themes but with that comedic edge,' said Byrne.
Going Soft runs from July 31 to August 24 with the exception of August 12.
Two of the other Scottish shows at Underbelly during the Fringe are Desperate Wee Gay Boy, a Fringe debut from writer-performer Fraser Kelsey about a thrill-seeking Scot navigating London's queer nightlife and Mary, Queen of Rock!, above, from a female-led Pretty Knicker Productions, who staged Salamander in 2023 which garnered a host of five and four-star reviews.
It is described as a fun piece of gig theatre set against a surrealist backdrop of the Scottish Reformation where rock'n'roll has been banned. Mary Stuart, reimagined as the world's biggest rockstar, is tasked with reclaiming the throne of rock.
Anyone with EH, G, KY or FK postcodes can benefit from 20% shows on a Wednesday and Thursday with the code LOCALHERD at the checkout – or in person at box offices during the festival.