Brian Beacom

TWO little boys have a fight in the park. One takes a whack in the face. What do their parents do about it?

A generation ago, nothing. Today, well, the threat of legal action looms, psychological treatment for the instigator is considered and schools, social services and police may be involved.

Colin McCredie smiles at how preposterous the reaction to kids’ rough and tumble can become.

“Twenty years ago there wouldn’t be the retribution there is now, or the legal threat,” says the former Taggart star.

“You know, recently I read a story about a five year-old who went to a little friend’s house to play and came back with her £200 designer shoes wrecked, because they were covered in paint.

“The mother of the painted shoes kid sent the other mother an email saying ‘You owe me £200. These are designer shoes.

“But of course you have to ask why someone is dressing a five year-old in £200 designer shoes?”

It has to be said the issue of children at play overlapping into legal action hasn’t emerged into the discussion because of anything the actor’s two daughters Maisie (11) and Betsy ( 8) have been involved in.

Colin is set to star in God of Carnage, a play featuring two couples whose boys have been fighting, who meet to try to establish blame, intent, responsibility - and possibly compensation.

The result is the parents end up battling harder than their boys had that day in the park.

“The couples arrange this very middle class, right-on meeting in one of their apartments to get to the bottom of it,” says Colin who plays Michel, the hardware shop-owning father of the son who has been hit in the face by the other boy.

We learn the characters argue, not just about the loss of two front teeth. It’s about snobbery, it’s about self-importance, about scoring points.

However, Colin agrees parents these days are taking parental responsibility to a whole new level.

“These days parents are more protective. I grew up in Perth and when I was twelve I came through to Glasgow on my own for Scottish Youth Theatre’s summer festival.

“My daughter Maisie is eleven and at the age she goes to the school on her own. But she has never been on a train by herself. I don’t think I’d let her do that in going to Edinburgh, for example.”

So what’s happened in the past twenty years? “I think it’s the bogey in the room,” says the actor who lives in Glasgow’s west end.

“I think people did bad things forty years ago, but it was ignored. Now, I actually think it’s less likely to happen now to children.

“But we worry more about what we think might happen. And how we’re perceived as parents.

“For example, you don’t have latch key kids anymore. As a child, if we weren’t picked up from school you just walked home.

“Now, there are breakfast clubs and after schools that make sure kids are secure.”

The 44 year-old appreciates that boys would seldom take a fight home (although in this story a couple of missing teeth would probably demand an explanation).

“The boy who took the hit on the face with a branch is seen as something of a grass.

“But the play also asks the question; is it nature or nurture? Are the children little sh***s because of the way they’ve been brought up - or are they just boys with sticks in a park?”

The Tony award-winning play by Yasmina Reza - produced as a film in 2011 starring Kate Winslet and John C. Reilly - brings up the issue of ‘responsible’ parents coming together to sort out issues.

“Once you have children you start interacting with parents at the school gates but often the only thing you have in common with them is their children,” he says grinning.

“There are lots you can make friends with, but there are others who are hideous.”

The play is also about how people take on new roles for the sake of keeping their partner happy.

“My character, for example, has been moulded into acting the way he does by his wife, and I know lots of people who have gone down this route.

“But we gradually see the true characters emerge.”

Not half. “The parents revert to becoming children,” says Colin.

The play, which also stars Lorraine McIntosh, Anita Vettesse and Richard Conlon, is a black comedy.

“There is a lot of comedy being played out,” says the actor. “It’s very dark, but it’s there. The audience will find parts of it very funny.”

Colin is delighted to be married to Anita in the play.

“We were at Scottish Youth Theatre together thirty years ago and she was a couple of years below me at drama school.

“It’s great to work with someone you’ve known such a long time.”

Theatre work has arrived regularly at Colin’s door - with roles in the likes of Democracy, I, Tommy and Dealers’s Choice.

But television, he says, seldom calls.

“I’m still so identified as the cop from Taggart. It’s hard getting into drama. And the last few years haven’t been great.

“Maybe it’s because it’s still on every night of the week, and perhaps people think I’m still twenty five.”

He adds, with a wry smile; “I feel I’m forever Melyvn Hayes.

“But at least I get to do good theatre. And I get the chance to plays dads.”

Being a real life dad is a delight and Colin has worked with his two girls in CBeebies show Woolly and Tig.

“We were slightly worried Betsy would turn into Drew Barrymore or Miley Cirus,” he says, grinning.

“So far, she hasn’t turned to drugs.”

• God of Carnage, the Tron Theatre, March 9-25.