Comedy stars Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill are to revisit characters from the early days of their partnership for the live finale of Still Game at the SSE Hydro.
The duo, who play Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade in the successful BBC Scotland comedy, are to revive characters from their late ‘90s sketch show Chewin’ The Fat for their on-stage farewell at the Clydeside venue.
Chewin’ The Fat, which also starred Karen Dunbar , Julie Wilson Nimmo and Tom Urie, was the springboard which launched the phenomenally popular Still Game series. It ran for five series from 1999 until 2002, with five festival specials.
The sketch programme ultimately spawned nine series built around two of its most popular characters, originally known simply as the Old Men, which has been adapted for three long-running stage productions, including next month’s return to the Hydro from 27 September until 13 October.
The series also featured Star Trek spoof Taysiders In Space, camp duo The Banter Boys, hopeless actor Ronald Villiers and painter and decorators Bish and Bosh.
Now favourites from the cult show are set to make their stage debut to mark their 20th anniversary, as the curtain falls on Craiglang for the final time.
Hemphill said: “This is Ford and I looking back over 20 odd years of working together. We might not appear on the stage together again, as much as we’ll write together, and it felt right.
“So there are some old pals of Jack and Victor coming to see them off into retirement. Jack and Victor having all the fun at the Hydro felt a bit selfish. This is a reunion of characters.”
Kiernan added: “It was always the idea, it was always on the cards. We’re looking forward to surprising fans of Chewin’ The Fat with this show.”
The final episodes of Still Game were screened last month across the UK, with the last episode suggesting the death of all but one of the core cast of Craiglang characters.
Kiernan and Hemphill’s characters were last seen setting out to climb Ben Lomond before fading from view.
Hemphill said: “We felt to go back along the timeline of Craiglang would be a disservice to the TV show because it ended quite powerfully for us.
“So the story picks up from where the TV show ended. There’s no alternate universe.“
Kiernan added: “It’s gratifying to know that we’ve managed to sustain the writing and sustain the interest of the audience.
“I remember when The Young Ones finished, when everyone went over the cliff on a double decker bus. My peer group were gutted, they thought it was garbage. But look at the impact that had in just two series.
“So we were at pains to get that ending right. And the feedback we’ve had is that we pitched it right, and that’s a good feeling.”
The chance to bring the Craiglang universe to a proper conclusion proved satisfying to the pair, 12 years after their working relationship broke down, leading to a seven year hiatus between installments from Jack, Victor, Isa, Navid, Tam, Boaby and Winston.
Hemphill said: “One of the reasons we brought it back - to end it properly It was unsatisfying to stop after series six. We always felt the characters deserved better than that.”
Despite Chewin’ The Fat being 20 years old, Kiernan is confident it still has an audience.
He said: “Tom Urie is doing the music for the show and he says a lot of his younger relatives are quoting Chewin’ The Fat.”
Hemphill added: “It’s fascinating how people are rediscovering things independently of TV companies forcing it down their neck.
“Years ago you couldn’t revisit old shows unless you had a VHS or a Betamax. The lifespan of shows is longer now.”
Kiernan said: “People have been asking us about doing more Chewin’ The Fat for TV but there are no plans for that.”
“We are looking forward to the next chapter,” added Hemphill.
“We’ll write together again, Ford wants to do more straight acting, and I want to do more directing. But neither of us would rush into a sit-com after Still Game. Trying to better than would seem futile.”
