Pat's Guide to Local Characters in Glasgow's West End: Dave Anderson: Musician and Actor
Dave Anderson's play Tir Nan Og wins award at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2007
Dave Anderson Entertains is the title of Dave Anderson's new one man show - a title that tells us a little bit about this man's talents: singer, storyteller, musician, songwriter, musical director and off course accomplished actor. What it doesn't tell us though is that Dave is mellow, modest and mannerly - a real gentleman in fact. He certainly doesn't come across as someone who has a 'big hit for himself', despite his numerous accomplishments.
Such as Stardust - The Hoagy Carmichael Story
I ran into Dave in a West End pub a few weeks back and he kindly offered to lend me his reading glasses when I discovered I had come out without my own. Of course I recognised him immediately and asked if I could include him on the Web site. I later contacted him and we met at 'The Chip' where we had a nice pot of Earl Grey and an interesting chat about his long and diverse career in show business.
His stage career began in 1973 when he was invited to join the 7.84 Theatre Company. He had been based in London where he was playing and writing with rock n' roll bands when he was asked to return to Glasgow to work with the company for 3 months - "writing and helping out". That was 27 years ago and the helping out developed into performing and directing. During those years Dave has played a pivotal role both with 7.84 and Wildcat Theatre Companies.
Probably best known for his role as musical director of the "The Steamie" and "The Celtic Story", both of which have repeatedly played to sell out audiences, he also became a very familiar face on television as Adam McClelland, the Bank Manager in the sit-com "City lights". Not a man to blow his own trumpet I had to encourage Dave to tell me about some of the highlights of his career : apart from "City Lights" and "The Steamie", which of course has been televised and played all over the world (I've laughed and cried at the show in the theatre and on the tele) - he has been involved in numerous productions.
His first film was the very impressive "Gregory's Girl" - a more recent production with Charlie Sheen was not quite so successful but nevertheless "an experience". Dave was a great fan of Glasgow's own festival "Mayfest" which sadly no longer exists and in 1991 he was delighted when the Wildcat production "Sharks" won the Paper Boat Award (The George Wylie Badge presented by The Glasgow Herald - for the show deemed to be "most in the spirit of Mayfest").
When I aksed him to explain the philosophy behind Wildcat he did not hesitate in answering: "not being afraid to talk about politics nor engaging people's brains as well as their emotions". The company toured all round the country bringing entertainment and awareness into small communities and housing estates - there have also been some memorable trips to other nations. His show "Confessing the Blues", with a sexual politics theme, was performed in East Berlin (before the wall came down!) - at the Berliner Ensemble, where Bertolt Brecht had his repertory company. "Confessing the Blues" was a great hit with the Berliners and Dave pointed out how "technically it was a revelation for the audience" used to Brecht's stark and neutral sets.
Contact
http://daveanderson.care4free.net/
Comments
I am listening to Wildcats album - Unofficial Action - right now - I cannot believe how fresh these songs are after all these years. Especially - Joy is in the child, leaving you, Harmony and painted bird. This LP has been around the world with me and it always brings back the memories of the times we followed Wildcat around the Glasgow area.
Best regards
Ian
--Ian Cameron ( Emailiancameron83 at ntlworld ) from uk on 14.9.2002; 22:23:30 Uhr
Next time you see Dave, my friend for over 40 years, tell him Pat (Holden) says 'hello'. And that I do visit my publishers in Dundee (DCThomson) now and again. You gave his musical history...I can go much further back. Like 1962/3...
--Patti Hales ( Emailwriter dot com at talk21 dot com ) from England on 16.10.2001; 21:07:09 Uhr
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