Fans take lead role in Rollermania musical

The hits of Scotland's biggest boyband are to be turned into a new musical to mark the 50th anniversary of their first number one hit next year.

The Bay City Rollers took the world by storm in the mid-70s, trimmed in tartan and causing scenes of hysteria wherever they went.

Now, the fans who followed them obsessively and screamed their loyalty to the cheeky Scots, are to appear centre-stage in Rollers Forever.

The new show will feature the band's biggest hits, including Bye Bye Baby, Keep On Dancing, Shang-a-Lang and Summer Love Sensation.

The show will follow the story of two Bay City Rollers superfans, who meet up for a Saturday night and relive their teenage years following their idols.

Sprinkling some tartan stardust on the project is original Roller Stuart “Woody” Wood, who is serving as artistic consultant.

Woody joined the band at the age of 17 in 1974, just before their success exploded with the hit Shang-a-lang.

He said the great thing about the musical was that it was about the fans, who - like the band - have been around for 50 years.

"Thank god for the fans. They've kept it alive all these years," he said.

"I cant wait to be in the audience and watch them react to it. I think they’ll have their tartan out – their scarves and probably dress up for the occasion."

Remembering their thousands of fans screaming and trying to tear the band members to bits, Woody said it all descended into a "mass of crazy".

Although they had great fun at the time, Woody said being a teenage sensation was not for the faint hearted.

He said he would not be able to handle it all now and, at the age of 67, would rather stay at home.

The play is written by award-winning playwright Danny McCahon and directed by acclaimed theatre director Liz Carruthers.

Also involved is current "Roller" John McLaughlin.

John - a successful songwriter, producer and performer - was responsible for organising the band's most recent reunion.

Now he gets to roll alongside his childhood heroes after Woody asked him to join the band.

John says producing the musical and playing in a band that had him in "total awe" as a child was a full circle experience.

"It's like getting to play for your favourite football team," he said.

John said the Rollers fans were unique and became so identifiable because of their tartan-clad outfits.

"It's like an army", he says.

"Even today, they turn up to gigs with tartan scarves, all happy, all joyous."

He says fans will be able to have a great night out at the show by celebrating the band and their songs.

The show follows Susan and Jenny who reminisce over clothes, boys and music - in a time where the height of technology and fashion were phone boxes, mail order catalogues and crispy pancakes.

Every moment is accompanied by a hit from the Bay City Rollers.

From the first time they see the band on TV to a rousing dance in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, the lives, loves and emotions of the women are governed by the Rollers.

And meeting their idols becomes the most important thing in their lives.

The musical sets out to be a celebration of the music and legacy of the "tartan teens" who wore the look once described as "young love personified".

One of those real-life tartan teenagers was Gail Shackley from Manchester.

Gail said she had been a "die-hard fan" since Bye Bye Baby was number one in March 1975.

Being from Manchester, she said the Edinburgh band were like “the boys next door”.

So, loving the band became easy because they were easily accessible to UK fans.

“They were ours, you latch onto your own,” she said.

She fell away from the band when they became a global success and toured the UK less but years later she was able to roll back to them after attending a gig in 1994.

She said she was shocked to have remembered every word to every song.

“It was like riding a bike, you never forget,” she said.

Gail met Les McKeown, the original frontman of the band, at an intimate gig of his band Egotrip in 1997.

She fondly remembers how her “teenage heartthrob” had brought out food and drinks to the 20 or so fans at the gig.

"After that, I was back on the scene like I'd never been off it,” she said.

She remained a close follower of McKeown, who died in 2021, and is now working with his wife and son to raise funds to be able to get a dedicated bench for the late singer in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens.

The superfan says that now is a good time for a play like this since it has become "cooler" to like the band.

She says she is interested to see how it will pan out and hopes it will be relatable to fans like her.

“Who doesn’t like a trip down memory lane?”, she says.

Rollers Forever will open at the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, in August 2025.