An Appointment With The Funny Man

In the years after Chewin’ the Fat and the fractious demise of Still Game, Greg Hemphill has all but disappeared off the radar save for a few sporadic low key appearances. Thankfully, the man who gave us countless memorable characters - pensioner, ned, painter without comedic restraint, Captain Nipple Whistle - is preparing for a mainstream return, writing and starring in the National Theatre of Scotland production ‘An Appointment with the Wicker Man’ – his homage to Robin Hardy’s cult classic. Like the 1973 original, it is set in the remotest of Scottish islands but will centre around the Loch Parry Players; a dysfunctional and slightly deranged theatre group who are also preparing a version of the play. One actor goes missing, leaving a draftee from the mainland to help pull things together 24 hours before opening night in the face of the strange goings on.

Hemphill, appearing as Lord Summerisle, describes the play as “Funny, spooky and shocking”, but laughingly adds that viewers will have to work out the shocking part for themselves. He is adamant that the production is The Wicker Man, however not quite as people would expect: “Putting on The Wicker Man as a stage production was a strange exercise, everyone knows the ending of the film, and if it was left the same it would be like watching something trapped in amber. That’s why we decided to do it as a play within a play, covering the events of the film in a comedic way as a celebration of the original.”

"The parallels are that we have a professional actor coming in to a group of amateurs, instead of a Christian coming to an island of Pagans; the new actor [who is] curious about the unknown fate of his predecessor and so on. The Wicker Man is a unique film, it’s so completely strange and that’s why it has endured.”

It is perhaps fitting that Hemphill marks his return on the stage, the place where his career began. Back in 1990, Greg first came to the fore winning the So You Think You’re Funny? trophy at the Edinburgh Fringe. He performed in several other stage productions in the following years, including the immensely successful Only An Excuse Tour in 1995. “It is very refreshing to do theatre again, TV becomes a bit of a velvet cage. After a few days doing rehearsals I felt as though I had been hit by a truck, we T.V people aren’t used to the rigorous hours! But it’s great to be on your feet being creative and physical after so long, it has been a real treat. It makes me feel young again!” he says in his unmistakeable Scots-Canadian accent.

Hemphill's infamous style - the witty, sharp edged and honest humour - blossomed from his lifelong love of creative laughter and, surprisingly, his penchant for horror. Alongside co-writer Donald McLeary, he has managed to marry his passions, the result of course being his latest venture: “I think the key to being a writer is finding something that is an adventure to you as well as the audience. Do something you have no emotion for, and the audience sniff that out. Audiences are far smarter than we give them credit for! You have to be pretty far up the tree to pick and choose as an actor. I’m happy to see a job and if I think I can do it justice I’ll do it.”

For patrons of the play, Hemphill won’t be the only familiar face. He stars alongside Paul Riley, best known as Jack and Victor’s Craiglaing amigo Winston Ingram: “When we did Still Game, Winston as a character was crucial, but Paul as an actor was also just as important. I was really delighted to re-connect with Paul and work with him again, because he was so important in my career; he is a fantastic, energetic person and one of the funniest people I’ve ever met", says Hemphill singing his praises.

Hemphill reveals a possible return to our screens thanks to his partnership with McLeary: “We’ve been able to really explore different things, we’ve written film scripts and there is a new sitcom that we are developing and casting for, all coming from a mutual love for horror and comedy.” Unfortunately, as the BBC own the script, Greg cannot divulge anything about his latest work which will be called Blue Haven.

After nearly 5 years under the radar, Hemphill says the hiatus was necessary in order to lay his previous projects to rest: “I think that to rush into anything high profile would have been a mistake. People tend to find it difficult to accept you as a different character from one that they recognise so well. After a successful sitcom you almost have to disappear for a wee while.”

Between 2001 and 2004 the former Glasgow University Theatre, Film and Television student returned to his old stomping ground after being made the Rector and was determined to roll up his sleeves and get involved in the role, and was openly applauded for his dedication: “You would be expected to come along once a month for a few hours to speak or whatever, but I had a scooter at the time, and I thought ‘I live five minutes away, I have my scooter, I’m not going to do the once a month thing’. I made myself as accessible as I could during those years. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I really enjoyed it. When I’m dead and buried, I’ll be carved into the stone of that building, I’m very proud of that fact.”

Away from writing and acting, Greg is very much a family man, but what really makes him tick is the goings on of the square circle. He is a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) nut: “I think it’s a fantastic art form and a fantastic form of entertainment. It’s fascinating, and I love it to bits!” What makes him chuckle the most isn't home-grown British comedy: “I prefer American humour to British humour. I’m not a fan of the humour of embarrassment. I prefer open, positive humour; far more American programs subscribe to that. However, I do think that British comedy is slowly changing, we are entering a phase of wanting old fashioned humour; wanting things to be straight forward and honest.”

Greg Hemphill is a man very comfortable where he sits and has established a legacy out of making us laugh, displaying all of his wit, honesty, consideration as well as his good humour in his innumerable rich characters. It won't be long before he is the Heavyweight Champ of Scottish comedy once more.

An Appointment With The Wicker Man opens at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen on 21 February before touring Scotland. The show will run from 28 February - 3 March at Theatre Royal Glasgow, tickets: £9.00 - £29.50.