‘Theatre is our lifeblood’: River City and Boiling Point star Gary Lamont on his return to the stage

He was last seen getting hot under the collar in hit TV drama Boiling Point, now Gary Lamont’s next job is giving him another reason to sweat.

The Glasgow actor, who plays maitre d’ Dean in the intense BBC restaurant series, is returning to the stage for the first time in years to take the lead role in Maggie & Me.

The National Theatre of Scotland production is the adaptation of the award-winning memoir from Damian Barr, the host of The Big Scottish Book Club, and it recounts his chaotic 1980s childhood.

Gary’s return to the stage was sparked by fellow Scottish star David Tennant, who worked with the former River City star last year on a forthcoming Disney+ series called Rivals.

© BBC / Boiling Point TV Limited

“David was about to go off and do his Macbeth, which I got a meeting for, and he was really positive and said ‘Get in for that, it would be great’,” Gary explained. “I got a polite thanks but no thanks for that, but it made me think that it wasn’t a bad shout.

“When you’ve done telly for years, you sometimes need to come back and remind people you have this skill.

“Theatre is our lifeblood and what most of our training is based on, and we also want to test ourselves.

“Aside from my man and piano comedy cabaret show, and panto, this is my first time on stage since 2007.

“I was in bed at 9pm every night from sheer exhaustion during the first week of rehearsals. I’m in pretty much every scene of the play, which is a privilege. But, for a 40-year-old body that’s not done it in a long time, I feel it.”

Maggie & Me

Maggie & Me sees Damian looking back at his troubled past and all the fear – and sometimes joy – it brought him.

It’s about trauma and triumph, coming of age and coming out, played out against the backdrop of the Ravenscraig Steelworks closure in Damian’s hometown of Motherwell and with the spectre of Margaret Thatcher looming over everything.

Gary wasn’t sure at first if he wanted to take on the role.

“I met with Damian three times and the first two times I was 50-50 on it, if it did happen to come my way. It’s a harrowing story, he’s still alive and very much here and writing this, so that’s a lot of pressure.

“In the third meeting, I did a read-through and let all of that go. Hearing it for the first time, I would have been raging if they didn’t offer it to me. But it’s intense and grim situational stuff we need to portray.”

© Eoin Carey

With that in mind, the production team has worked hard to ensure it isn’t confrontational for Damian.

Gary continued: “We have a duty of care to him for his past trauma and not to trigger it. We’ve filmed the rehearsals and he gets to watch it all in private.

“He’s on the other end of the phone if I need to speak with him, which I’ve done a couple of times. Neither of us has done anything like this before, so it’s lovely that we’re feeling this together.”

Margaret Thatcher, sucked into Damian’s world, will be portrayed in the production by Beth Marshall.

“I might have the most to say in the show, but Beth has the hardest role. How do you portray Thatcher in Scotland on tour?” Gary laughed. “It’s miraculous how they’ve done it and I can’t wait to hear and feel people’s reaction to her. It’s almost certain she will be booed.

“People of my generation are children of Thatcher, and there is that innate deterrent and dislike. I suppose I’m appalled all over again of the rhetoric, and I think what speaks to me more, as an out and proud 40-year-old gay man, is section 28. That’s what sticks with me.”

Life after River City

Life has been hectic for Gary since leaving River City in 2017, having played hairdresser Robbie since 2009.

“Leaving River City was a massive choice I felt I had to make, but I’m grateful for all the experience and training I got there,” he said. “My life needed a break as well, so I wanted to get away for a while.

“I went to London. I have a brilliant agent and agency, and we have access to some really good work. Some of these roles I think I’ll never get, but I do.

“I’m having a great time and it’s an exciting time in my career and in my playing age – the parts are interesting now that I’m older.”

© BBC Scotland

After six years in London, Gary came home to be with his poorly dad, who passed away last August. As he deals with that loss, he has stayed put in Glasgow.

“I don’t know which way is up and that’s ok. I’m figuring it out and I think home is the safest place to do it,” Gary added.

“I’m at the stage in my career where I no longer need to be in London to be seen for things.

“If they need to see me in London then I’ll go, but Glasgow is a much easier base. London got too crazy post-Covid.”

Maggie & Me opens at the Tron, Glasgow, from Tuesday-Saturday, then Inverness, Perth, Cumbernauld, Dundee, Northampton and Edinburgh.