National Theatre of Scotland announces Billy Connolly play Dear Billy
A new play about the life of Billy Connolly has been announced as the comedian celebrates his 80th birthday.
The National Theatre of Scotland will tour Dear Billy in theatres and community centres across Scotland next year.
Featuring stories from the general public about The Big Yin, the show has been created by Gary McNair, who wrote and performed the acclaimed 2014 play Donald Robertson Is Not A Stand-Up Comedian.
Connolly has given his blessing to the production and a seat will be saved for him at every show in case he wants to drop by. And McNair plans to collect even more stories about the Glaswegian stand-up while on the road to make every show different.
"It's a show about Billy Connolly, but it's about the people of Scotland as much as anything else," McNair told BBC Scotland.
"The show is made up of everyone's Billy story. Because every time you speak to someone about Billy Connolly, straight away they talk about the time they met him, or they went to see him, or what he means to them. They want to share it, and we've been lucky enough to collect all those stories and put them together into this show that culminates in finding out who Billy is.
"We think we know, but we find out who he is through the prism of us."
Dear Billy features on the new programme of NTS shows for 2023. And NTS director Jackie Wylie said: "He is one of the most loved figures in the history and contemporary life of Scotland.
"We're going to leave a seat for him at every show, so that he knows he can come and learn about what he actually means to the people of Scotland."
Radio 4 Xtra is also currently repeating comedian Janey Godley's 2015 series about Connolly, The Big Yin.