Rollers Forever ★★★★

The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band from the 1970s that saw international success and an adoring fanbase, which led to the rise of “Rollermania”. This musical is a tribute to the fans and award-winning playwright Danny McCahon’s late wife, Susan. Directed by acclaimed theatre-maker Liz Carruthers, the show had a successful first run in August 2025 at Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre.

A large, neon-red “Rollers Forever” sign is suspended over the middle of the stage, setting the scene. The venue is a temple, and the faithful have come to revisit their gods. Bay City Rollers music plays as audiences find their seats, looking at a telephone box, a park bench, and a ScotRail station sign indicating that we are in Croy.

As the audience lights dim, the cross-stage curtain lifts, and the live band starts playing a high-energy welcome. Previously hidden from view, the band’s stage is an ode to its era, decorated in clashing patterns that are bright, bold, and beautiful. Karen Tennent’s set design is visually rich and engaging. Lighting designer Ross Nurney’s hazy lights make the band and background dancers feel otherworldly, like watching a show on an old TV.

Jenny, played by Fiona Wood, slides onto the bench, singing along. She is soon joined by her old friend Susan, played by Chiara Sparkes, and they start reminiscing about their teenage years as Rollers fans. The dynamic duo are delightful throughout the show.

The 70s vibes take over in a smooth transition to the friends’ past, as tartan and otherwise heavily patterned furniture simply but effectively sets the new scene. We are introduced to Susan’s brother Alec, played by Liam Harkins. Obsessed with Bruce Lee, Harkins delivers energy and karate vocalisations that produce belly laughs from the audience. He portrays a lovable idiot and speaks some of the show’s funniest lines.

The girls, like most teenage girls in those days, fell in love with the Bay City Rollers. A mother’s tartan tablecloth is sacrificed for the greater good, as the girls sew a tartan BCR patch to the back of a jean jacket and add tartan trimmings everywhere. The need to show group membership and that someone is a real fan is clearly strong, as tartan starts appearing everywhere on stage. Even boys who are not Rollers fans start dressing like fans, in an effort to attract girls, a concept which is promptly made fun of. As the Rollers’ popularity increases, the girls worry that they will become too famous and their teenage dream of marrying Les McKeown and Stuart “Woody” Wood will not come true. Upon learning that the Bay City Rollers will soon travel to America, the girls skip school to travel to Edinburgh, in the hopes of meeting them in case the band does not return. On the train, they meet a girl who hasn’t washed her hand since Les touched it, showing exactly how obsessed the fandom was.

While audiences new to the Bay City Rollers may not instantly feel the connection, the cast’s smiles and undeniable enthusiasm are infectious. Rachel Campbell, Clare Nolan, and Avril Mcloughlin provide character and charm, and deliver their brief solos beautifully. A special mention to Andy Clark, who takes on multiple brief appearances to provide reminders on how people should behave in various spaces, delivered with excellent comedic timing, before taking the stage as a tribute singer. Younger audiences will also appreciate the costumes which feature jeans, Converse, pins, and tartan headbands and belts. Far from being solely a product of its time, the show includes a sexist joke which it quickly questions, and an accidentally sexist analogy which is quickly corrected.

Rollers fans wearing their tartan scarves and rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia will love this show. “With an R-O-double-L, E-R-S, Bay City Rollers are the best!” References to life in 1970s Scotland are plentiful, but may go over a younger audience’s head. However, to borrow a lyric from the band, this is “music that everyone understands”. Rollers Forever is a glorious celebration of fandoms, love, and friendship. Grab your tartan, don your dancing shoes, and prepare to sing along.