How chance meeting with Scottish actor sparked revival of 'misogyny' play ten years on

It was premiered more than ten years ago as a response to the contradictions, assumptions and attitudes that emerge in everyday conversations between men.

Now Locker Room Talk, which uses real transcriptions of real conversations had by men - but performed by women - has been revived after a chance meeting with a member of the original cast.

Writer Gary McNair ran into Scottish actor Blythe Duff, who was in the original cast of Locker Room Talk ten years ago, when she pressed him to bring back the play this summer due to "urgent need" for conversation over misogyny.

He said: “It came about with a conversation with one of the cast. I was at a celebration of 10 years of the National Theatre of Scotland at the Scottish Parliament earlier this year and I happened to bump into Blythe Duff. We were reflecting on the show and she said she always thought about it.

“It’s about reviving the play and reviving the conversation. It was a catalyst and a realisation that there was a hunger to revive it, she had a real belief and a determination to bring it back.”

A previous incarnation of Locker Room Talk. | Locker Room Talk

Unfortunately, Ms Duff wasn’t available to take part because of scheduling.

The conversations used in the performance centre around comments which are dismissed as banter or a joke, but are now viewed through a decade that has seen online misogyny, influencer culture and wider conversations about violence against women move much further into the public consciousness.

“We’ll find out if the conversation feels different now, that’s something we’re looking forward to finding out,” said Mr McNair. “In the rehearsal room, there’s been a lot of talk about how they felt then, compared to how they feel now. There’s a part where they’re talking about things said by specific people who are ten years older now - and they sad they felt sad hearing it this time.”

The play is on from 25 to 30 August as part of TravFest at the Traverse Theatre.