EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A-Gary McNair

Tell us a bit about Letters to Morrissey.

Letters to Morrissey is the third in a trilogy of often darkly comic works drawing on the joys and struggles of growing up in working class Scotland, explored through letters written to renowned singer-songwriter Morrissey at the turn of the millennium by a conflicted teenager from the outskirts of Glasgow. It's a thoughtful play considering our human desire to be understood, and about finding potentially false kinship in an icon you don't actually know.

Are you pleased to be working with the Traverse again?

I'm delighted to be working with the Traverse again - it's my favourite theatre and they have yet another amazing programme lined up this year, so to be a presenting my fourth Festival piece there this summer is a real honour and it makes me feel very lucky.

What makes a Fringe audience so special?

The Fringe audience is like no other because people descend on the city from all over the world to take a risk on art. They see seven or eight shows in a day and they carry each one into the next with them. You could go straight from a one-man piece, to a Hamlet, to a dance version of Mad Men - all before lunch! Suffice to say, Festival audiences are up for anything.

What's next for you after the Festival?

I have a few shows in the pipeline that I need to keep tucked under my hat for the moment, but I can say that I am working on a biography of Scottish poet William Topaz McGonagall - the worst poet in the world - which will hit the stage in spring.

Are there any other shows you're hoping to catch?

I'm excited about a few shows this year - Stand By by Adam McNamara, The Whip Hand by Douglas Maxwell, and Borders by Henry Naylor all look brilliant. However, I am also excited about just getting there in August and discovering the gems once everything is up and running.

Timings and ticket information for Letters To Morrissey are available on the edfringe website.

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