Singin' I'm no a Billy He's a Tim

May 18, 2024

19th May 2024 – 25th October 2025

Plays inspired by a sectarian theme are not uncommon, and Des Dillon’s use of comedy to highlight the unnecessary hatred caused by bigotry must be commended. It was clear from the full house of enthusiastic and supportive ‘fans’ at the Old Red Lion this evening, the market for such plays remains strong. Singin’ I’m No a Billy He’s a Tim taps into one of the most famous examples of how community is divided, and paints a picture of sectarian attitudes with broad brush strokes through the medium of football fans from opposing Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers.

“Scott Kyle (Tim) and Colin Little (Billy) work incredibly hard, and, at times, bring the house down with impeccable comic timing.”

When two supporters from across the divide find themselves sharing a police cell for an evening, the inevitable fall out comes as no surprise and manifests itself in a first half slanging match between Tim and Billy (The Tim Malloys and the Billy Boys if you’ve not brushed up on your sectarian history) with voices raised from the moment they meet. We hear an endless stream of highly inappropriate racist language and numerous repetitions of chants adopted by football fans (“being up to our knees in Fenian blood”) which are used by the two characters to intimate, silence and mock each other. The calm in this Catholic and Protestant storm is officer Harry (AKA Turnkey) who has his own drama unfolding. We learn of his four-year-old grandson having heart surgery and a complication which is enough to momentarily pause the shouting. Dillon’s clever sub plot uses pathos not only to evoke sadness for Harry but hits home the message that there are more important things in life than opposing religious beliefs.

Upon reaching the interval it felt as if I’d been on the terraces of the Old Firm derby and I was rather hoping it was to be a game of two halves but alas the second half shouting match continued. There were, however, passages of play where the direction changed as Billy and Tim start to temporarily adopt the roles of cell mates, exploring what it means to be Scottish, Irish and British. We start to see them acknowledge their views are not entirely fair. Billy’s idealistic plan to rid football clubs of bigotry is another gem from Dillon.

There can be no denying the message of this piece is as important now as it was twenty years ago when the play first opened. There is no place in society for bigotry. Writer Des Dillon explores and challenges bigotry with some wonderfully crafted words, often relying on humour to highlight the ridiculous. Scott Kyle (Tim) and Colin Little (Billy) work incredibly hard, and, at times, bring the house down with impeccable comic timing.

With a topic such as this I was hoping for a little more depth but instead it was straight forward and entertaining and hugely enjoyed by a crowd who cheered the actors off with a standing ovation upon the final whistle.

Huge credit must be given to Scott Kyle and NLP theatre company for this is the 20th anniversary tour. Undoubtedly this production will enjoy many more years of successful future touring.

Stephen Cambridge