WEST Dunbartonshire Council was accused of censorship yesterday, after it dropped a play about SNP activist Willie MacRae from its programme before telling the show’s producer he could come back if the Labour council administration was ousted in the next elections.
After a successful run at last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Andy Paterson from Theatre Magnetico said the authority called him asking about the possibility of putting his play 3,000 Trees: The Death of Willie Macrae on at Clydebank Town Hall.
The council then told him it would “have to be run by some of the Labour councillors for approval”. Two weeks later a voicemail left on Paterson’s phone and heard by The National, told him the local authority would not be putting on his play. The message from a civil servant in the council said they had spoken to the executive director about the play and “given it’s a political arena we’re in, we thought it too sensitive to bring to the town hall at this time”.
Bizarrely, the civil servant then continues: “Maybe when things progress, if there’s going to be a change, a kind of change in the governance at the next election then that’s certainly something I think the new party, if they’re successful, would be interested in but at this stage unfortunately it’s not something I can progress with.”
Local MP Martin Docherty said he would be writing to the council immediately: “I’ll be seeking reassurances from the administration of West Dunbartonshire Council that this is not censorship. What is good enough for the guid folk of Edinburgh is certainly good enough for the guid folk of West Dunbartonshire.”
A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “An assumption was made that Clydebank Town Hall would not be a suitable venue to stage this play. However, we will continue to consider this play as part of the programme for the coming year.”
MacRae died in April 1985. Although his death was recorded as suicide, there have been many alternative theories as to how he passed, thanks to a number of odd circumstances. Many friends, supporters and colleagues believe he was killed by the state.
The SNP activist was a successful lawyer and anti-nuclear campaigner. Last year rumours suggested he had compiled a dossier into a paedophile ring in Westminster, although that document has never been found.
McRae’s car was discovered some distance from the road in what initially looked like an accident, but the gun he had been shot with was later found 60ft from the car. MacRae was dogged by rumours of alcoholism, depression and closeted homosexuality.
Paterson said: “Nothing about the way Willie died adds up to his death being a suicide. There are many theories around as to who may have killed Willie – he was investigating the nuclear industry and NATO in Scotland, as well as the illegal drugs trade.”
He continued: “It strikes me that MacRae’s death has little to do with his affiliation to the
MP and a whole lot to do with his activities as a campaigner outside the party.”
Paterson said he would be taking 3000 Trees to Clydebank and will be performing the play during the town’s Yestival in September. The show also runs again at this year’s Fringe between 4-31 August at Venue 325, Yes Cafe South at 6.45pm.
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