Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre today announces an addition to their team of Associate Artists. Award-winning Glasgow playwright and performer Gary McNair will be joining Morna Pearson, Tim Price, Emma Callander, Stef Smith and Rob Drummond, the Company’s group of writers and directors that works closely with the theatre, sharing and supporting its commitment to new writing and talent development. McNair is a 2007 first-class honours graduate in Contemporary Theatre Practice from the RSAMD (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and has worked with many of Scotland's major theatre companies. His work has been translated into several languages and performed around the world.
McNair and the Traverse have developed a successful and supportive creative relationship with his highly successful show A Gambler’s Guide to Dying premiering at the Traverse during the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival winning a Scotsman Fringe First and a Holden Street Theatre Award. His earlier pieces, Born to Run (2012) and Donald Robertson is Not a Stand Up Comedian (2014), started life at the Traverse and have gone on to enjoy touring success, with the latter returning to the Traverse in 2016. His new work in progress, Locker Room Talk, will be performed at the Traverse on this February (dates below).
Gary McNair says, “The Traverse is my favourite theatre in the world. I've performed there more than any other venue and it never loses its excitement. The first time I performed there it felt like the theatre equivalent of playing Glastonbury and I still get that same buzz now. I've also seen some of the most exciting and important theatre at the Traverse so you can imagine my delight at being asked to join the team. Given its incredible reputation and high quality of its work I take it as no small feat to be its representative, and it's something I'll do with pride. I find the other Associate Artists really inspiring writers so it's a real honour to be standing alongside them in this way. I look forward to being an ambassador for the theatre as I travel with my work but also to my responsibility of helping, along with the rest of the brilliant Associates and creative team, to shape the future of this important theatre. “
McNair’s latest verbatim work in progress Locker Room Talk also has its cast announced today. This piece is inspired by Donald Trump’s dismissal of controversial comments made during his presidential campaign as ‘locker room talk’. McNair has been having honest conversations with men about women to explore this phenomenon, with the words of these men being performed by a cast of women, that will comprise Caroline Deyga, Jamie Marie Leary, Alison Peebles and Rachael Spence.
Locker Room Talk will be directed by Orla O’Loughlin and be followed by a post-show discussion after each performance that will run at the Traverse from Friday 17th to Saturday 18th February at 7.30pm.