Redheads at heart of Gary’s musical tribute
Gary Lamont is aiming to boost people’s knowledge of all the talented gingers in the world of showbusiness.
The River City star brings his show What a Riddy to the Macrobert next Thursday (March 16).
The one-man show sees Gary paying musical tribute to his fellow redheads, from Cilla to Sonia and Lulu to Bette, alongside funny stories and tales of life as a carrot-top.
“As with all good ideas, it was something that just came to me,” Gary told the Observer.
“My pal Johnno and I came up with it. As soon as we thought of it, I started thinking about how many ginger artists there are. It’s always nice to have a link to a show.
“There will be no Ed Sheeran or Simply Red, but there will be songs from lots of other carrot tops.”
When quizzed over who his favourite ginger is, Gary picked someone who came to prominence for the colour of their hair.
“I’d have to say Geri Halliwell,” he said. “She is just so awfully brilliant, even though she is a rotten singer.”
Best known for playing sassy hairdresser Robbie Fraser on the BBC Scotland soap for the past eight years, Gary has become a firm favourite with River City viewers. Over the years he’s tackled major storylines from gay adoption and domestic abuse to making history with Scottish television’s first gay civil partnership. But many fans will be surprised to hear his strong singing voice as he belts out tunes from the ginger songbook.
“There is nothing that beats going out and performing live,” he said. “I love it and love having that audience. Every audience is a bit different.
“I’ve always sang, and do panto every year. I did the Macrobert pantomime when I was just starting out, about eight or nine years ago - although it feels more like a thousand!”
The show is sure to be a night of fun, with Gary promising to provide some light entertainment.
He said: “There is so much misery in the world just now. People just want a little bit of light relief. I’m not going to change the world, but I will have a laugh and sing some nice songs - some of which you may not have heard for years.”