'The London 2012 Games Closing Ceremony...'

For the most part, by the time you become aware of a talent, be it a band or an actor, they have already had some degree of success: typically, that is how you came across them. In my thirty-three year history of going to gigs, for example, I can't think of one support act that I've seen who went on to become famous. 


I bought Hazel O'Connor's 'Breaking Glass' album but didn't see her play live, thereby missing Duran Duran in support. If I'd been a little older, I might have gone to Gary Numan's 'Touring Principle' and seen Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark precede him onstage, but I was only 13. I do sometimes wonder if the 'D&A' synth duo I saw supporting someone (Depeche Mode?) might have been a nascent Eurythmics but I've never been able to find any record of it. 


Where I have loved small bands, none of them have gone on to achieve any great fame (at least, not yet), and I guess that, statistically speaking, that's not that surprising. 

So, it's been odd to watch the development of my friend, David Callaghan, whom I first met and then saw perform in Edinburgh, at the Fringe. His show last summer, along with his sort of partner (they don't actually perform together) Amy Gleadhill, was so good that I subsequently took the Minx up there for the day so that she could see it, too. 

Over the last few months, David has written a play. Now, if you've ever tried to write anything of substance - longer than, say, a blog post - you'll know this is not something one does casually. Very few people, I'm guessing, simply sit down one day and toss out a play. Thus, I was really impressed, not to mention a bit envious, when I saw that David was putting on the play in Glasgow. And there was no way I was going to miss it. 

This evening, then, the Minx and I drove up to Glasgow, dumped our stuff in the lovely (and surprisingly cheap) Rennie Mackintosh hotel and hotfooted it down to The Old Hairdressers. There was just time for a quick stiffener and then we went upstairs for the show, which turned out to be solely performed by Clare Sheppard, who was simply superb.

The Minx's trepidation at our taking seats in the front row was realised by proxy when I was selected to represent our half of the audience in a marshmallow tossing competition, which I am both extremely surprised and very delighted to have won, coordination and precision not featuring very highly on my CV. That adrenaline charged episode aside, it was a hugely enjoyable play: entertaining, well-paced, and both humorous and deeply affecting. Much as I admire David - and he is a very smart and funny young man - I am still amazed that he wrote it. I should take some inspiration from him. (And also some anti-procrastination medication.)

It looks as though David and Clare will take the play to Edinburgh, this year, in which I case I heartily recommend that you go along. 

PS The full title is 'The London 2012 Games Closing Ceremony Closing Ceremony' but Blipfoto is a bit authoritarian when it comes to the length of entry titles.