The multifaceted career of Scottish artist and playwright John Byrne, who passed away at 83, is a testament to his unique creative vision. His distinctive style, evident across his paintings and plays, was characterized by a sharp, witty humor, a deep understanding of popular culture, and a fiercely independent spirit. John Byrne’s contributions to both the visual arts and the dramatic arts have left an indelible mark, particularly his significant impact as a playwright.
Byrne’s foray into mainstream popular culture came through television, following two decades dedicated to his art studio and theatrical endeavors. His groundbreaking television series, Tutti Frutti (1987), broadcast by the BBC, was a comedic explosion in six parts. It chronicled the chaotic journey of a fictional Scottish rock band, The Majestics, humorously dubbed “Scotland’s Kings of Rock.” The show featured a stellar cast including Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, and Maurice Roëves, with Richard Wilson portraying their increasingly frustrated manager. This series cemented Byrne’s reputation for blending sharp wit with relatable characters, showcasing his talent for comedic writing and character development.
Building on this success, Byrne further solidified his place in television with another BBC Scotland production, Your Cheatin’ Heart (1990). This six-part series, also imbued with a strong musical element, this time featuring country music classics, starred Tilda Swinton as a Glasgow barmaid, John Gordon Sinclair as an inquisitive journalist, and Ken Stott as a petty criminal and drug dealer. Your Cheatin’ Heart cleverly used the narrative themes of country songs to parody the Glaswegian underworld and its tragicomic escapades, demonstrating Byrne’s innovative approach to storytelling and his ability to weave music and drama seamlessly. This series, much like Tutti Frutti, highlighted Byrne’s skill as a writer capable of crafting engaging narratives and memorable characters within a distinctly Scottish context.
The personal life of John Byrne also became intertwined with his professional work. His relationship with Tilda Swinton, which began during the filming of Your Cheatin’ Heart, brought him a level of celebrity he was not entirely comfortable with. Byrne was known to be intensely private, preferring to let his artwork and plays speak for themselves. This desire for privacy was evident early in his career when he famously submitted a series of paintings to his first major London exhibition in 1967 under the pseudonym Patrick McShane, his father’s name, describing him as “a retired busker and labourer.” This playful deception, however, was quickly uncovered, revealing the burgeoning talent of John Byrne.
John Byrne’s artistic persona was unmistakable. He possessed the look and demeanor of a dedicated artist, and his prolific output of self-portraits on canvas became a hallmark of his oeuvre. These self-portraits, comparable in their introspective nature to those of Rembrandt or Velázquez, were deeply revealing and constantly questioning. His physical appearance, with his distinctive hair, face, and beard, even bore a resemblance to Velázquez. Despite the intimate nature of self-portraiture, Byrne’s work was never seen as narcissistic but rather as a profound exploration of self. His artistic influences included masters like Giotto and Magritte, yet notably, he showed little interest in landscape painting, focusing instead on the human figure and portraiture, elements that would also become central to his plays.
Born into an Irish Catholic family, Byrne’s understanding of his own family history took a dramatic turn in 2002. He discovered that his biological father was not who he believed but was in fact his maternal grandfather. Despite this revelation, Byrne maintained a nuanced perspective, emphasizing his mother’s genuine affection for her father. This complex family background, with its layers of hidden truths and emotional depths, may have subtly informed the intricate characters and narratives he would later create in his plays.
Byrne’s formal education included St Mirin’s academy in Paisley and later the Glasgow School of Art, where he graduated in 1963. Prior to art school, he served an apprenticeship in a Paisley carpet factory, an experience that would later inspire his acclaimed Slab Boys trilogy. After art school and a period working in television graphics, he returned to the carpet factory as a designer, demonstrating a practical grounding alongside his artistic aspirations.
His artistic reputation grew steadily, culminating in a significant exhibition at the Third Eye Centre in Glasgow in 1975. Despite not being a commercial success at the time, this show marked Byrne as a leading contemporary artist in Scotland. Following this, Byrne turned his creative energies towards theatre, a move that would see him flourish as a playwright and designer.
John Byrne’s transition to theatre brought a new dimension to his artistic talents. He seamlessly integrated his graphic and painterly skills into stage design, most notably for the Great Northern Welly Boot Show (1972), starring the emerging comedy star Billy Connolly. This satirical play about the shipbuilding industry became a hit at the Edinburgh Festival and later transferred to London’s Young Vic. Byrne’s contribution extended beyond set design to poster design, and he even created Connolly’s iconic yellow banana boots, a memorable prop akin to Ken Dodd’s tickling stick.
His association with John McGrath’s influential Scottish 7:84 theatre company further cemented his position in theatre. As their regular designer, Byrne contributed to The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil (1973), a politically charged musical theatre production that explored the Highland clearances and the impact of the oil industry on Scottish communities. This experience with 7:84 was pivotal, paving the way for Byrne to emerge as a playwright in his own right.
From his design work with 7:84, Byrne transitioned into playwriting with Writer’s Cramp (1977). Initially conceived as a radio monologue, it evolved into a full-length play and became a sensation at the Edinburgh Fringe. This comedic spoof arts documentary, recounting the fictional life of writer Francis Seneca McDade, showcased Byrne’s comedic genius and his ability to create uproarious and intelligent theatre.
Building on the success of Writer’s Cramp, Byrne drew upon his carpet factory experiences for The Slab Boys (1978). This play, set in the gritty world of 1950s Paisley, explored the lives of young working-class men with humor and pathos. The Slab Boys expanded into a trilogy and was also adapted for BBC’s Play for Today in 1979, further broadening Byrne’s audience. Another play, Candy Kisses (1984), drew inspiration from his time in Perugia, creating a vibrant and chaotic setting with a mix of characters including art students and draft dodgers.
Byrne’s theatrical range extended to adaptations and more traditional forms. He designed Edward Ravenscroft’s Restoration comedy London Cuckolds in 1985, and in 1992, he wrote Colquhoun and MacBryde, a play for the Royal Court that explored the lives of two gay Scottish painters in 1930s Soho. His adaptation of Gogol’s Government Inspector in 1997, set in a Scottish backwater, was a resounding success, demonstrating his ability to revitalize classic texts with his distinctive Scottish sensibility. Later in his career, Byrne also produced Scottish versions of Chekhov plays, further demonstrating his versatility and his commitment to bringing both classic and original works to the stage.
In addition to his theatrical and television work, Byrne continued to paint and exhibit regularly from 1991 onwards. He was recognized for his contributions to Scottish culture with his election to the Royal Scottish Academy in 2007. His artistic legacy was further cemented in 2013 when he painted a vibrant roundel for the ceiling of the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, a testament to his enduring connection to the arts in Scotland.
John Byrne’s personal life included marriages to Alice Simpson (separated in the late 1980s, divorced in 2014) and later to lighting designer Jeanine Davies in 2014. His relationship with Tilda Swinton lasted from 1989 to 2003. He is survived by Jeanine, and his children: John and Celie from his first marriage, and twins Xavier and Honor from his relationship with Swinton. John Byrne’s passing marks the loss of a significant figure in Scottish arts and culture, a man whose creative output as a John Byrne Playwright and artist enriched the lives of many and whose legacy will continue to inspire.
