What the F**kirk?

What does it mean to come from Falkirk? In fact what does it mean to come from anywhere? Find out at What the F**kirk? a new one man comedy play written and performed by Falkirk born writer and playwright Alan Bissett, which is touring the Falkirk area from Wednesday 3rd to Sunday 14th June 2015.

What the F**kirk? asks the all important question: What is Fawkurt aw aboot? Is it just the town that invented Irn Bru and Tartan? Or is it unique, with its own history, dialect, landscape, architecture and culture, all of which adds up to a distinct accent of the mind?

This hilarious new play takes audiences through the past and the present right up to the arrival of the Kelpies and its new title of 'a creative place to be.’ Directed by Sacha Kyle with live music from local musician Adam Stafford, it will tour to small community venues throughout the area including Bonnybridge Community Hall, Grangemouth Town Hall and Hallglen Sports Centre.



What the F**kirk? was commissioned by Falkirk Community Trust to celebrate Falkirk’s success at the Creative Place Awards in 2014. It is part of ‘The Falkirk Story’, one of three projects created to showcase and nurture the wealth of creative talent living and working in the Falkirk area.


Alan Bissett said: “This is going to be a really lively, fun evening out which takes a look at the past and present of Falkirk, one which hopefully make the audience laugh but also make them think. What the F**kirk? is about a community and a people. I want folks to feel pride in the place that they come from, recognise its value but also reflect upon what we've lost over the years. It's really a forensic examination of what a place like Falkirk means, but in stand-up comedy format. It's pretty much the most Falkirk thing you'll ever see in your life."

Lesley O’Hare, Culture and Libraries Manager said: “ We are delighted that Alan has come back to Falkirk to help us deliver this Creative Place project. Alan is a real inspiration for the new generation of writers which he has been working with. He is also an extremely talented performer and I am very much looking forward to seeing What the F**kirk? and his take on how Falkirk has changed.”



What the F**kirk? will tour the Falkirk area in the first two weeks of June.


Wed 3 June, Slamannan Community Centre, 7.30pm
Fri 5 June, The Dobbie Hall, Larbert, 7.30pm
Sat 6 June, Grangemouth Town Hall, 7.30pm
Sun 7 June, The Barony Theatre, Bo’ness, 7.30pm
Mon 8 June, The Craiglee Inn, Reddingmuirhead, 7.30pm
Tues 9 June, Bonnybridge Community Hall, 7.30pm
Fri 12 June, Behind the Wall, Falkirk, 7.30pm
Sat 13 June, The Songbird, Denny, 7.30pm
Sun 14 June, Hallglen Sports Centre, 7.30pm

Lach plus Y'all Is Fantasy Island @ Edinburgh, 25 Jul

they create a sound that is as immediate as rock and as intimate as folk.
EVENT REVIEW BY GARETH K VILE.


PUBLISHED 14 AUGUST 2006

Both Adam Stafford and Lach come from a tradition of folk performers who want to play rock'n'roll. With an attention to language and a single guitar, they create a sound that is as immediate as rock and as intimate as folk. Cabaret Voltaire is the ideal space for these musicians: small enough to allow communication between artist and audience, with a good sound system and a relaxed ambience.

Y'all is Fantasy Island's debut album, 'In Faceless Towns Forever' is a melancholic slice of charming folk music, but front man Adam Stafford's solo set tonight was invigorating and direct. Leaving behind the cello and clarinet of the recorded versions, he exposed his songs of longing and quiet despair to ferocious acoustic guitar, revealing a strong poetic sensibility and a howling emptiness that would make Johnny Cash scowl. 

In the middle of his short set, he switched to electric guitar and explored a more subtle approach that still managed to grab the attention: his confident stage presence and earnest passion ensured that a warm response from the audience.

Lach is a more seasoned performer than Adam Stafford, and his between song patter established an easy rapport with the small crowd. Although he can be a little one dimensional musically - he attacks his acoustic guitar with punk rock intensity, tearing into instrumental breaks with layers of distortion - his lyrics range from the humorous to the moving. 

In under an hour, he managed to cover politics, Spider Man (apparently a "traditional New York folk song"), drunken mothers, teenage alcoholism and even arctic explorers- this last one an improvised response to an audience request. While at times he can be maudlin and obvious - his song about his difficult relationship to his homeland in the USA was dour and tokenistic, setting himself, by turns, as black and gay - he is capable of uproarious comedy; Drinking Beer with Mom is both slapstick and a paean to the rock'n'roll lifestyle.

His set did drag after a while; there are only so many times a Dylanesque drawl and a strummed guitar in overdrive can impress. However, his sensitivity to the crowd's mood and sharp wit kept the performance from flagging for too long, and he ended on a powerful and funny finale. His records are, comparatively, a pale shadow of his dynamic live show and he deserved the enthusiastic applause that greeted his self-consciously rocking Goodnight.