Gray day for comedy festival in artist tribute

Three comedians walked into an archive.

Not the beginning of a joke but a new collaboration between the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and the Alasdair Gray archive which they hope will result in some original – and funny – new material.

"I think Alasdair Gray's art is so comedic," says Ashley Storrie.

"There are so many different stories and faces and he archived all the idiosyncrasies he saw in a way which made sometimes daunting things seem quite funny."

Ashley – daughter of comedian Janey Godley – plans to focus on Gray's murals which she remembers seeing as a young child.

"I grew up in the east end of Glasgow and I think my parents were scared that I would be invited to a ball or a banquet and wouldn't know how to eat, so they'd take me to the Ubiquitous Chip in case I ever found myself in a situation where I had more than one knife and fork. And I'm sure I met Alasdair Gray in those weird times."

Stand-up Christopher Macarthur-Boyd also recalls bumping into Alasdair Gray and asking him to sign his copy of Lanark.

"I remember thinking this was serious, weird, sexual, nightmarish dystopian fiction and then you realise it's all around.

"It's in Hillhead Underground and Oran Mor. There are traces of him everywhere.

"I am over the moon to be collaborating with the archive because he is one of my favourite artists in the world. He makes me proud to be a Glaswegian. He makes me proud to be Scottish and he makes me proud to be speccy."

Although Alan Bissett also met Alasdair Gray, he's chosen to base his work on another encounter.

The archive includes a photo of Billy Connolly and Alasdair Gray at the launch of his landmark novel Lanark in the Third Eye Centre in 1981.

"I've always been fascinated with that moment, two incredibly important Glaswegians who both take Glasgow as their subject matter but give them completely different treatments."

"How did Billy end up there, waiting to get his copy of the book signed, what did they talk about?"

The absence of social media means we'll never know so Alan intends to create a work which imagines what might have happened. He'll play both characters himself in a short stage piece.

All three of the pieces will be performed at Oran Mor in March beneath Gray's celestial ceiling artwork.

The event marks the 850th anniversary of Glasgow and what would have been Gray's 90th year.

Comedy festival director Krista Macdonald says she believes the stars have aligned.

"I'm not sure anyone else would have taken a chance on an event like this. It's another link in that chain of making it feel like something that's really meant to be happening.

"Glasgow is known for its comedy and Alasdair Gray is a titan of Glasgow culture. And this will be delivered in a way that we'll have to wait and see - and that feels very Glasgow too.

Alasdair Gray died in 2019. Sorcha Gray, the custodian of his archive at the Whisky Bond in Glasgow reckons he'd be tickled by the comedy connection.

"I guess he always wanted the focus to be on the work," she says.

"But I can imagine his booming laugh at whatever they might come up with and I think he definitely would have been chuffed."

Gray Matters: A Laugh For Glasgow's 850 Years is at Oran Mor on 23 March 2025

The Glasgow International Comedy Festival runs from 12-30 March 2025