Firebrand Presents BILL MCLAREN: THE VOICE OF RUGBY

Presented by award-winning Hawick-based theatre company Firebrand, Bill McLaren: The Voice of Rugby, a 'showcase' for a new play celebrating the life of the rugby commentating legend will open on Tuesday 10 September at Heart of Hawick in the Scottish Borders for six performances.

Based on an original script by rugby journalist Rob Robertson, and directed by Richard Baron, Firebrand's entertaining new play explores the man behind the voice and his personal dedication to rugby, as both the sport he loved and, as a way to enable young people to achieve their potential in life.

The play uses a range of storytelling techniques to create a gripping, humorous and moving piece of theatre that celebrates the romantic love story at the heart of the extraordinary achievements of a great Scottish icon, whose lifelong passion for his sport and its values transcended his simple Borders origins and brought him international fame and worldwide popular affection.

His passionate belief that the game of rugby has the ability to engage with all young people and teaches life-skills including discipline, preparation, respect, friendship, courage, fitness and teamwork makes Bill McLaren one of the most interesting and important sporting and cultural ambassadors Scotland has ever produced.

Writer Rob Robertson said: "His life story excited and inspired me and is one of personal highs and lows. In my opinion he belongs in the pantheon of truly great world-class broadcasters. Go anywhere in Britain, in fact anywhere in the world where rugby is played in some form, and they will know the name of Bill McLaren. But there is a lot more to him than being just a rugby commentator. Bette, his wife, is featured heavily in the play as she was a massive part of his life - his rock. And whilst his rugby commentary was what made him an international household name, privately his passion for teaching sport, and particularly rugby, was a huge source of personal pride and fulfilment. His proudest day, he recalled once, was the day he became a qualified PE teacher. And it can be no coincidence that a surprising number of those youngsters he taught went on to play for Scotland.

Hawick is where Bill started watching rugby as a boy and I am sure he would have been proud to have a play staged there in his honour and nothing could have been more fortuitous when looking for a company to stage the production than teaming up with the highly regarded Borders-based Firebrand. They have done a great job. Bill's family, especially his daughter Linda, plus his friends and his charity - from which John Thorburn deserves a special mention - have been incredibly generous with background information that helped me create a picture of the man for the play."

Director Richard Baron said: "I am excited and honoured to be working on such an interesting project with Rob Robertson and the Firebrand team. Bill McLaren is an important representative of all that is good about sporting endeavour and is rightly revered nationwide not only for his unrivalled ability as a world-wide but also as a dedicated teacher, proud Scottish Borderer and family man. We hope that our discovery of the man behind the voice enlightens, inspires and entertains like one of his commentaries and (to borrow a phrase) encourages the appropriate amount of dancing in the streets".

Firebrand's play explores Bill McLaren's idyllic pre-war upbringing in Hawick and early memories of the great New Zealand All Blacks playing at the town's Mansfield Park; his horrific and character-shaping wartime experiences with the Royal Artillery at the battle of Monte Cassino; his personal battle with tuberculosis in his mid-20s and the tragic early death of his daughter Janie while he was commentating on a match.

The stellar Scottish cast includes Crawford Logan (Bill McLaren), Helen Logan (Bette), Sandy Batchelor (Gregor/Young Bill) with an outstanding creative team led by director Richard Baron, and includes set and costume designer Edward Lipscomb, lighting designer Wayne Dowdeswell, video design Jamie MacDonald and soundscape by Jon Beales.

Bill McLaren: The Voice of Rugby is supported by Creative Scotland and Firebrand are also grateful for additional support from The Bill McLaren Foundation, the McLaren family and friends.

Photo credit: Bill McLaren Foundation

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