As part of the ‘Out in the Hills Festival’ at Pitlochry Festival Theatre—Artistic Director Alan Cumming and curated by Lewis Hetherington—and flagged as ‘a festival that celebrates all things LGBTQIA+’, Jackie Kay was meant to be in conversation with Armistead Maupin. However, the latter was replaced at fairly short notice by Russell T Davies. So writes Sass MacDonald for theQR.co.uk…
A Star-Studded Substitution
Maupin—as he told the audience in a video shown in the auditorium after a short introduction by Alan Cumming—had fallen downstairs at home, been hospitalised, and was now in slow recovery. His contribution was notable for telling us that his partner was probed by the paramedics on arrival about ‘how exactly’ Maupin had fallen down the stairs, with hints that it might not have been an accident. But more memorably, he referred to Jackie Kay as Judy. Twice. It gave her plenty of scope to make a joke out of it, and she evidently revelled in milking it for all it was worth.
Navigating Modern Anxieties
Russell—can I call him that, or should it be Russell T?—was interested to know how many of us had booked especially to see Armistead Maupin. Not many hands went up, possibly more out of politeness than truth, though my colleague pointed out that she had booked to see Jackie Kay first and foremost. But anyone—like me—who had really wanted Maupin was absolutely not short-changed. Davies is open, engaging and witty. He’s also thoughtful and thought-provoking.
This Festival is a celebration of queerness and so, inevitably, there were discussions around trans rights, coming out, being ‘othered’ and the highs and lows of often being made to feel different. Davies’s feelings are that things have got worse, not better, recently; he did a great soapbox rant about the evils of mobile phones in the hands of youngsters and would, if he could, ban them for kids. Kay was more hopeful, and it was good to witness the debate without rancour or point-scoring. If the love in the room was anything to go by, I’d say there are plenty of allies out in the world, which can only be a good thing.
But anyone—like me—who had really wanted Maupin was absolutely not short-changed. Davies is open, engaging and witty. He’s also thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Themes of Transformation
Kay is a very able and easy-going interviewer, and this felt like what it was—a conversation between two people who are very comfortable in one another’s company. She wasn’t provocative or pointed, but gently led Davies through stories of childhood, gayness, coming out, prejudice and—most interestingly to me—the theme of transitions and transformations. This was considered not just in Davies’s own life story but also in his television work. It was not an aspect he’d really considered before, which led to some nice ‘thinking on your feet’ moments which inevitably reveal truths. I loved that.
Writing The Doctor, Years and Years, and Tiptoe
The final Q&A session brought up inevitable Doctor Who questions, but also a brilliant question about Years and Years (watch it on ‘catch up’ if you’ve never seen it), which hadn’t been mentioned, except in passing, during the main discussion. Davies said it was the hardest thing he’d ever written up to that time, but that his next series (Tiptoe) had proved to be even harder.
…he [Davies] did a great soapbox rant about the evils of mobile phones in the hands of youngsters and would, if he could, ban them for kids. Kay was more hopeful, and it was good to witness the debate without rancour or point-scoring.
He shared his theory that the very best television is written about principal characters who are actually cleverer than the scriptwriter. He quoted The Doctor, of course (‘the cleverest man in the Universe’), but also Sherlock Holmes and the work of the likes of Sally Wainwright. That insight will make me re-visit some programmes with a new perspective.
There were quite a lot of serious topics covered, but Davies is not always totally discreet. But sorry, dear reader, what’s said on stage at Pitlochry Festival Theatre stays right there!
Deeply thoughtful and highly entertaining—congratulations to both Jackie Kay and Russell T Davies.
Featured Image: Russell T Davies and Jackie Kay credit Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
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