Well, that’s another mammoth Edinburgh Fringe run almost done! Twenty-three shows over three weeks, nine hundred tickets sold, and absolutely lovely audiences every day. Thank you so much to everyone came along. But as summer fades and Autumn says hello, it’s time to take to the road!
I’ll be doing the following shows in the following places on the following days. It would be very nice indeed to see some of you there, if you didn’t manage to make it down to Edinburgh this year. Or even if you did!
Oh again! In case you can’t see me on tour and didn’t get to Edinburgh, both When Billy Met Alasdair and The Red Hourglass have now been published together in handy book form and can be purchased here.
In case anyone hasn’t had quite enough of me yet, I’ll be bringing my 2012 solo show THE RED HOURGLASS to the Edinburgh Fringe this year, from 6th-29th August at Stand 2 @ 12.20pm. It’s a weird one – I play three male and two female characters, none of them human – but I loooooved performing it and I’m really excited to be bringing it back.
PLUS! There are also two chances to catch last year’s Edinburgh Fringe hit When Billy Met Alasdair at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 15th and 23rd August. Tickets available here. Of course, you could always catch both shows in the same day…
FROM THE REVIEWS OF RED HOURGLASS:
‘Long awaited, after the smash-hit success of The Moira Monologues, Alan Bissett’s new drama, is an equally hilarious series of monologues all played by Bissett himself, but this time with a political edge.’ – The Skinny
‘Excellently written and performed, this is definitely a work that holds you in its web — and a worthy successor to Bissett’s previous hit, The Moira Monologues’ – Broadway Baby
‘Whip-smart, distinctly Scottish humour…Bissett’s a joy to watch.’ – Fest Magazine
‘A playful, instantly engaging presence…this is sophisticated, completely captivating theatre.’ – 3 Weeks
‘As in the critically lauded Moira Monologues, Bissett’s a joy to watch as a solo actor, skilfully giving life to each character through versatility of voice and mannerisms.’ – Edinburgh Fest Magazine
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The master of spoken word and characterisation, Bissett commands the room with his stage presence, magnetism and dry wit. He is an utter joy to watch. It’s a funny, highly entertaining hour that delivers a great pay-off at the end.” – Edinburgh Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Has to be seen….very funny…highly entertaining…Inventive…It surprised me (in a good way!)….thoroughly enjoyed it.” Sinners Reviews
‘Unique, intelligent, funny and inventive piece of adult theatre… Bissett has become a spiderman (and woman) that may not swing from high buildings with his web but who spins a rare tale and knocks Peter Parker in to a wee tin hat.’ – The Edinburgh Guide
‘It’s almost impossible for Bissett not to be funny. There’s no end of chuckles to be gleaned from his wry delivery. He embodies each spider with a unique personality and story, but what’s more impressive is the range of accents he manages to engage to comic effect.” – British Theatre Guide
‘Who knew it could be so enjoyable to spend an evening trapped in a room with a gang of man-sized spiders? A real Fringe gem.’ – Alice Jones, The Independent
‘Highly entertaining…Bissett’s witty, well-observed writing combines well with his bold, shape-changing performance…A delightfully unusual piece of theatre.’ – Mark Brown, The Herald
‘Bissett is a terrific performer, capable of terrifying, high-speed transitions..[has] wit, sharp political intelligence, and an ability to entertain his growing army of fans.’ – Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman
Well, Billy and Alasdair are now heading on tour, at the following venues.
7th Feb – Dumfries, Theatre Royal. Tickets available here.
13th Feb – Stirling, Macrobert Centre. Tickets available here.
21st Feb –Peebles, Eastgate Theatre. Tickets available here.
27th Feb – Kirkcaldy, Adam Smith Theatre. Tickets available here.
28th Feb – Aberdeen, Lemon Tree. Tickets available here.
Sat 28th Mar – Glasgow International Comedy Festival, Citizens Theatre. Tickets available here.
There will be further dates added in the fullness of time, so keep your eyes open!
FINALMOIRA DATE
If you are one of the few people in Scotland who hasn’t yet seen any of my rip-roaring Moira ‘one-woman shows’, then it’s your VERY LAST CHANCE to catch the great lady’s final public appearance.
20th Feb – Moira in Lockdown @ Websters Memorial Theatre, Arbroath. Tickets available here.
While the main event this year is my new solo show WHEN BILLY MET ALASDAIR at the Edinburgh Fringe this August, I will be doing a few other random events dotted throughout the country later in the year that you’re welcome to pop along to.
The Moira Trilogy tour has come to an end, I will be doing some (final!) guerilla performances of the individual shows at the following venues:
Fri 2nd Feb – Moira in Lockdown @ Websters Memorial Theatre, Arbroath. Tickets available here.
That last one is the final performance of Moira ever scheduled. She’ll be taking a looooong break after that, folks. Hopefully see you at one of these!
Here we go, folks! Tickets for my new Edinburgh Fringe show WHEN BILLY MET ALASDAIR are now LIVE, and I’m very excited! It’s been named by The Guardian as one of their “Must See” plays of The Edinburgh Fringe 2025, and has been called by The Times“a captivating new play”.
Design by Doug Summers
In my first solo show (that isn’t a Moira Monologue) since 2013, I’ll be playing both Billy Connolly and Alasdair Gray in a story based on the famous photograph by George Oliver, about the day that Connolly attended the launch party for Gray’s Lanark in 1981.
Alasdair Gray & Billy Connolly 1981 Photo: George Oliver
Hello folks! I’ll be going to the Edinburgh Fringe again this year, for my first solo show (that isn’t a Moira Monologue) since 2013! More of that later. But just to let you know what I’ve got coming up this summer.
15th May – An Evening With Makar and Friends @ Stirling University Library. This is an event hosted by Kevin P. Gilday, the Stirling Makar and all-round good bloke, with various Stilring University alumni, including myself, Hannah Lavery and Jane Borges. Tickets available here.
24th May – The Moira Trilogy @ Crieff, Strathearn Arts. Ths is the last performance of my three ‘one-woman shows’ before the summer, and very probably one of the very last ever. Now’s yer chance, folks! Tickets available here.
8th June – Launch for Passages @ Linlithgow, Architecture Fringe. This will be me reading my selected works with musician Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul, to launch Passages: An Audio Culture Trail on the National Cycle Network route 754, on the Union and Forth & Clyde canals. PLEASE NOTE. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
18th June-22nd June – The Concert Party @ Inverurie, Garioch Heritage Centre. This is a new play I’ve co-written with Rhona Mitchell for the young people of the Mitchell School of Drama to perform, about the ways in which World War 2 impacted the population of Inverurie. Tickets available here.
Thereafter it’s the Edinbugh Fringe! Maybe see you at one of them? Do say hi!
The book has also been shorlisted for the Society of Authors Educational Writers’ Award 2024.
(photo: Dilyana Tankova)
You can buy a copy for the young person in your life here, should you wish. Also, an interview with me about the book and the work I’ve been doing in schools with young people on it has been published in The Herald.
Many of you will know that there are now three of my award-winning ‘one-woman shows’, The Moira Monologues(2009), More Moira Monologues (2017) and Moira in Lockdown (2022). In 2025, I’m continuing my tour of Scotland to perform ALL THREE SHOWS IN ONE NIGHT (two intervals included, obviously). Joyce McMillan in The Scotsman calls it “an absolute classic of Scottish working-class comedy.” 4****The Guardian also gave the Trilogy a 4**** star review, commenting that, “The three shows together could have been overwhelming, but instead paint a fuller, funnier picture of this singular character.” Come and see Moira do her thing on the following dates:
2025
1st Feb – Arbroath, Websters Memorial Theatre. Tickets available here. (Moira pt.1 only).
7th March – Paisley Arts Centre. Tickets available here. MOIRA TRILOGY.
14th March – Lochwinnoch Arts Festival, McKillop Hall. Tickets available here. MOIRA TRILOGY.
22nd March – Peebles, Eastgage Arts. Tickets available here. MOIRA TRILOGY.
4th April – Oban, Corran Halls. Tickets availablehere. MOIRA TRILOGY.
5th April – Musselburgh, The Brunton Theatre. Tickets available here. MOIRA TRILOGY.
11th April – Dundee, Gardyne Theatre. Tickets available here. MOIRA TRILOGY.
12th April – Aberdeen, Lemon Tree Studio. Tickets available here. MOIRA TRILOGY.
26th April –Kirkcaldy, Adam Smith Theatre. Tickets available here. MOIRA TRILOGY.
24th May – Crieff, Strathearn Arts. Tickets available here. MOIRA TRILOGY.
These will be among the last Moira shows I will be performing…for a good long time anyway. But hopefully see some of you there for this epic undertaking!
Got a handful of Moira shows coming up in the rest of the year, plus I’m promoting my new book Lads: A Guide to Respect and Consent, which you might want a keek at as well. Details below:
Alan Bissett 