Brian Beacom

IS THERE a massive generation gap these days?

Can young people, and older people, find an accord?

That’s the theme of this week’s Oran Mor play, The Greatest.

Alan Muir’s play features a young lady who calls herself Orwell. She’s a blogger and a YouTube fanatic.

“We find she is visiting her auntie in a care home,” says Rebekah Lumsden who plays the female lead.

“She goes into an empty room to take a phone call but she she stumbles across Jimmy Marshall, who is played by Billy McBain.”

She adds; “What begins from that point on is a lovely friendship, which runs until the end of the play.

“They tell each other stories; they educate each other and Jimmy tells Orwell about the Mohammed Ali story.”

Ali visited Scotland in 1965 to stage an exhibition bout at the now defunct Paisley Ice Rink.

The boxer was 23 and at the height of his fame, having just won his world title rematch against Sonny Liston, courtesy of the now infamous “phantom” punch, a few months earlier.

Ali was piped off his plane on arrival in Glasgow Airport and visited hospitals and Celtic Park on a promotional blitz. But just 1,000 turned up to the fight in Paisley and they weren’t impressed with what they saw.

The boxer went through the motions. When the crowd started booing, the young champion had had enough and stormed out of the ring and straight to the airport demanding to be put on “the first flight outta here.”

But did Jimmy fight Ali - and beat him? We’re not to sure, but what we do know is he is prepared to argue the case.

“They are both feisty and talkative, and they have a bit of a spar,” says Rebekah, grinning.

“Orwell, we discover, has given herself this name because she plays roller derby and her skating number is 1984.

“Her real name is Lindsay Bell, but we don’t find this out until the play runs on.”

The actress adds; “She’s very politically aware, she’s a feminist and a realist. She’s not too far removed from me.

“I can be feisty. She’s a little more stuck in her ways than I am but it’s not a massive leap for me to play Orwell.”

She adds; “My parents are both left wing, very liberal. We fight for the same things.

“And I think the biggest concers and issues we face at the moment are gender equality. I do hope my generation can take this forward.

“And we are going to do our best to fight.”

Yet, former Conservatoire student Rebekah, who enjoyed a stint with Dundee Rep, acknowledges there is a real separation between the generations.

“You only have to look at Brexit to see that gap,” she says,

“My millennials didn’t vote for that and we’re the ones who are going to have to life through it.

“But this play gives you two side of the generation gap. Jimmy isn’t a Brexit voter - but he does have a different voice to Orwell. He’s of a different generation.”

Rebekah adds; “What this play tells you is we shouldn’t be blaming each other. We should have a conversation. “

She adds, smiling; “I have to learn from my gran all about her history but that doesn’t mean that has to be my future. “

* The Greatest, Oran Mor, until Saturday.