John Byrne (playwright)

1.1. Birth and family background

John Patrick Byrne was born on 6 January 1940, in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and grew up in the Ferguslie Park housing scheme. He came from a family of Irish Catholic descent. His mother, Alice McShane, was married to Patrick Byrne at the time of his birth. However, Byrne later discovered in 2002, through a revelation from his cousin, that his biological father was in fact his maternal grandfather, Patrick McShane, who had engaged in an incestuous affair with his daughter, Alice, for many years. Byrne initially reacted with anger to this truth but eventually came to terms with his lineage, noting, "I think he gave me that wonderful mixture of genes with his own daughter, the eldest of the family. I presume it's what they do in unlettered places and lettered places. It's traditional, and nobody speaks about it." His mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia, a condition Byrne attributed to the trauma of the incestuous relationship. She was hospitalized multiple times throughout her life before her death at the age of 74 in Dykebar Hospital.

1.2. Education

Byrne' received his education at St Mirin's Academy in Paisley. Following this, he attended the Glasgow School of Art, from which he successfully graduated in 1963. Before enrolling in art school, Byrne gained practical experience working as a "slab boy" at Stoddard's carpet factory in Elderslie, located near Paisley. In this role, he was responsible for mixing paints used in the manufacturing process of carpets. After completing his studies at art school, he returned to Stoddard's, this time as a designer. His experiences and observations during his time at the carpet factory later served as the direct inspiration for his renowned The Slab Boys Trilogy plays, which vividly depict working-class life.

2.1. Art

Much of Byrne's artistic output consisted of portraits, executed in a diverse range of styles, from traditional oil paintings to more expressive caricatures. This broad stylistic approach was particularly evident in his numerous self-portraits; a 2022 retrospective exhibition featured 42 of these, many of which are considered among his most recognized works. Music was another recurring theme in his art, and he notably painted several guitars for his musician friends.

Early in his career, seeking to gain entry into the London art scene, Byrne employed a clever strategy. He submitted one of his works to the Portal Gallery, falsely claiming it was by his father, Patrick Byrne, and simply signed it "Patrick." The accompanying letter detailed his father's supposedly difficult and solitary life, asserting that there were an additional 50 works by him at his modest home in Dunoon. Although the hoax was eventually uncovered, the exhibition garnered considerable attention, notably from the Beatles, who approached him in 1968 to design the cover for their self-titled album. While his work was ultimately not used for that specific album, it was later featured on The Beatles Ballads, a 1980 compilation. Throughout his career, up until his death, Byrne frequently signed his artworks with the name "Patrick," a practice most famously seen in his 1971 piece, "The American Boy."

Byrne's involvement in theatre began in 1972, where he contributed to Billy Connolly's The Great Northern Welly Boot Show. He then served as a house designer for the 7:84 Scotland theatre company. From 1964 to 1966, he also designed jackets for Penguin Books. Having had his work rejected by various galleries, Byrne found success following an exhibition of works at London's Portal Gallery in 1967, where he presented his dream-like paintings under the "Patrick" pseudonym. His career as a professional painter officially commenced in 1968, when he left Stoddard's carpet factory.

In addition to designing the scenery for his own plays, Byrne collaborated with director Robin Lefevre to create settings for other productions, including Snoo Wilson's The Number of the Beast (Bush Theatre, 1982) and Clifford Odets' The Country Girl (Apollo Theatre, 1983). Some of his most widely recognized artworks were the album covers he designed for his friend Gerry Rafferty and Rafferty's former bands, the Humblebums and Stealers Wheel. These iconic covers include those for City to City and Night Owl.

After an unsuccessful exhibition of his artistic work in 1975, Byrne largely kept his art from public view for a period. He resumed exhibiting in 1991, followed by several subsequent exhibitions that brought his work back into the public eye. In recognition of his artistic contributions, he was made a member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 2007. He also illustrated Selected Stories by James Kelman, the recipient of the 1994 Booker Prize. Several of his paintings are permanently displayed in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, including portraits of notable figures such as Robbie Coltrane, Billy Connolly, and Tilda Swinton (the mother of two of his children), alongside a significant self-portrait.

Byrne's artistic legacy has been honored with several museum retrospective exhibitions. These include "John Byrne at 60, The Unsolved Artist" in 2000, held in Paisley, Renfrewshire; "Sitting Ducks" in 2014, at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh; "Ceci n'est pas une rétrospective" in 2022, at the Fine Art Society in Edinburgh; and "John Byrne: A Big Adventure" in 2022, showcased at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.

2.2. Writing

In the 1970s, John Byrne began to focus on writing his own original works. His play Writer's Cramp achieved success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1977 before transferring to London.

The following year, he wrote The Slab Boys, which was the first installment of a significant trilogy of plays. This trilogy premiered between 1978 and 1982 at the Traverse Theatre Club, Edinburgh. A fourth part was added to the series in 2008. The main characters in The Slab Boys, generally considered the most popular part of the trilogy, are working-class Glaswegian teenagers. The play proved to be a launchpad for the careers of several young actors, including Robbie Coltrane in Edinburgh, and in its 1983 Broadway production, it featured rising talents such as Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, Val Kilmer, and Jackie Earle Haley.

Byrne achieved considerable success in television with the 1987 BBC series Tutti Frutti. The series starred Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, and Maurice Roeves, and chronicled the final days of a struggling rock 'n' roll band. Tutti Frutti received widespread critical acclaim and was honored with six BAFTA awards, including one specifically for Graphic design, which was awarded to Byrne himself. He followed this success in 1990 with Your Cheatin' Heart, a six-part series set within the Glasgow country music scene, featuring John Gordon Sinclair, Ken Stott, and Tilda Swinton. Byrne also established The John Byrne Awards, which recognize and encourage new talent.

3.1. Television

3.2. Theatre

3.3. Radio