Everyone usually remembers the first time they saw or heard Billy Connolly. He wasn't easily ignored. For most of us that meant seeing him on screen or stage, or listening to a recording. But plenty of people have first hand memories of meeting Billy, living alongside him, working with him.
Gary McNair is the front man for this show, accompanied by two musicians, and backed up by the usual creative team that's always involved in these productions. But behind that is a small army or story gatherers and researchers who found, listened to, and recorded the words of, many people across Scotland who'd encountered Billy in some way or other.
McNair has taken the best of these interviews/stories/reactions, and woven them into a compelling one man performance. Albeit one man portraying many characters. He's energetic, convincing in his multiple alter egos, and hilarious. And, occasionally, very moving, as in his relating the words of a woman whose husband also had Parkinsons, and was touched by Billy's empathy.
And there's McNair's own brief encounter with the great man - both real and imagined! Plus all the characters who new him before he became The Big Yin loved by millions, who could see he had something special about him, even if they didn't always want to admit it.
Ninety minutes flies by, and even McNair's going off script at one point didn't spoil the performance, indeed enhanced it, for he's got a great ability to keep audiences on side and take the piss out oh himself. Much like his hero.
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