Nostalgic Joy in Rollers Forever at King’s Theatre Edinburgh

This was my first visit to the King’s Theatre since it reopened—an evening rooted in memories, renewed connections, and the enduring pull of a favourite song.

The audience was mainly ladies of a certain age—schoolgirls and fans during the Bay City Rollers’ heyday, now on the cusp of a well-earned retirement. As the production built, you could see the inner schoolgirls coming through, unable to resist singing along and dancing in their seats. A few brought protesting husbands for the evening, and there was the odd smattering of under-40s.

Rollers Forever follows the story of Jenny and Susan, two teenage best friends who are Rollers daft, and their attempts to meet their heroes. We first encounter them as pensioners in the present day at Croy Railway Station, en route to a Bay City Rollers tribute evening.

A Nostalgic Journey

Writer Danny McCahon has said that Rollers Forever is a tribute to his late wife—and Rollers fan—Susan, but has stopped short of saying the character is based on her.

The curtain rises to reveal a set reminiscent of 1960s and 1970s television programmes, and the onstage band plays the first tune. Amazing work by Tyler Collins (guitar) and Gregor John-Owen (bass) who sing, act, dance AND play—is a quadruple threat a thing? They are ably led by Lauren Macdonald.

Chiara Sparkes and Fiona Wood create a believable friendship as Susan and Jenny, which is the focus of the show.

Moving back to the 1970s, the two decide to skive off school in pursuit of the band—and to hopefully become Mrs Les McKeown and Mrs Stuart Wood. Their exploits take them into the big city, making new friends and having romantic encounters with real boys—both disappointing and fulfilling—along the way.

**Rollers Forever** – **credit Kevin McQuire**

Doing the Music Justice

In any jukebox musical, the true test is whether the performances can do the original songs justice. Sparkes more than succeeds, bringing a superb voice to Susan, and together with Wood, she delivers Musical Director Dale Parker’s sympathetic arrangements in gutsy fashion. The supporting cast also impress vocally, with Avril Mcloughlin deserving particular mention. My foot seemed to have started tapping without my being aware!

“The curtain rises to reveal a set reminiscent of 1960s and 1970s television programmes, and the onstage band plays the first tune. Amazing work by Tyler Collins (guitar) and Gregor John-Owen (bass) who sing, act, dance AND play—is a quadruple threat a thing? They are ably led by Lauren Macdonald.”

Encouraged by Susan, Jenny’s attempts to woo local boys are hilarious, giving Wood a chance to display her comic timing. Liam Harkins—as Susan’s brother Alec—also keeps the audience laughing with a comic turn somewhere between a pantomime cheeky chappie and Russ Abbot. The period humour extends to the dinner table, with Findus Crispy Pancakes, Vesta curry, and Black Forest gateau all providing opportunities for a nostalgic chuckle.

Karen Tennent’s costumes look as though they were enormous fun to put together, and as well as proving her set design chops with the TV studio, she evokes Princes Street Gardens with effective simplicity. Chris J S Wilson’s choreography supports the storytelling and music rather than competing with them, allowing the cast’s energy to shine without overwhelming the show.

“In any jukebox musical, the true test is whether the performances can do the original songs justice. Sparkes more than succeeds, bringing a superb voice to Susan, and together with Wood, she delivers Musical Director Dale Parker’s sympathetic arrangements in gutsy fashion.“

The age of the performers is the main challenge: Sparkes, Wood, and the rest of the cast are too young to be pensioners in 2026 and too old to be teenagers in the 1970s. However, I can see that casting actors of an age somewhere in between gives the production team flexibility which it wouldn’t have had with separate groups of teenagers and pensioners, or the practical hurdles in using under-18s in a professional show. Wigs would have gone some way to addressing this, although as Jenny and Susan are onstage almost continuously, there would have been no time for ageing make-up to be added and removed.

Rollers Forever knows its audience, viewing its world firmly through the eyes of two teenage fans and their friends. A little more depth, perhaps offering a glimpse of what else was happening in Scotland and beyond, might give those without an existing attachment to the band a stronger way into the story—perhaps some football for those husbands? The songs are great, but there’s so much competition out there and such little money that it may struggle to get anyone who hasn’t been a Rollers fan through the door.

That would be a shame: my 18-year-old son, who claimed not to recognise any of the songs, thoroughly enjoyed the production, particularly the cast’s energy. For all its reliance on nostalgia, this is a show whose musical appeal can reach beyond those who were there the first time around.

Featured Image: Rollers Forever – credit Wattie Chueng