Brian Beacom

WRITE what you know? Here’s what Hilary Lyon knows.

She knows what it’s like to bring up adopted children, and how society judges both the kids and their parents.

She knows what it’s like to feels to live among neighbours who have a different sense of values to your own.

And she knows how it feels to be part of a world that’s heading for serious political division.

It all makes perfect sense therefore the actress/writer should take to the keyboard to come up with a play that reflects the moment.

Hilary, a former RSAMD student, has written Ding-Dong.

This week’s Oran Mor play runs on that theme that just because you live in the same street as someone, it doesn’t mean you inhabit the same universe.

Her story, which develops into a full scale farce, takes place in a well-heeled part of Edinburgh, where lefty liberal Susie (Hilary) and uptight, aspirational Jennifer (Gail Watson) simply aren’t soul sisters.

Susie has a 15 year-old son, Mikey (Buchan Lennon) whom Jennifer takes a real scunner to, on account of the fact he likes to play loud rap music.

But perhaps it’s because he happens to be adopted - and mixed race?

Meantime, Susie’s sister (Clare Waugh) enters the fray, a hippy dippy, spiritual lady.

And it all makes for an interesting triangle of opinions.

“This play came about after I appeared in Oran Mor last year, in Muriel Gray’s play,” says Hilary, “and I got to talking to (director) Morag Fullerton about Dario Fo and farce.

“I said I’d love to write for the theatre and I liked the idea of taking personal politics, about intolerance and prejudice and turning it into farce.”

And she has. “The differences with the neighbours become very exposed when Jennifer takes a dislike to Susie’s son over an everyday incident.

“It’s a lot of fun, being a farce, but underpinning this is a serious point about people being judgmental.”

Hilary has experienced judgmentalism over her two adopted children, now aged 15 and 13. She believes there is a sense that adopted kids are viewed to be public property, that new parents pick them up from the Lost and Found.

“Some people sometimes think because the children aren’t ‘quite your children’ that gives them the right to say what they think, in a way they wouldn’t about birth children.

“I was warned about this before I adopted, and although I haven’t experienced it hugely, it does exist.”

She adds; “This theme is in the play, but I also hope it’s an everyday story that goes bonkers.”

Hilary and director Morag Fullerton have a special relationship which dates back to 1985.

“Morag gave me my first job when I appeared in Dario Fo’s Trumpets and Raspberries (which starred Elaine C.Smith, Andy Gray and featured the unknown Alan Cumming),” she reveals, with a note of gratitude registering in her voice.”

Hilary, who joined a writers’ group when she lived in London, worked as an actress for years, before moving into writing, mostly comedy drama for Radio 4, with series’ such as Baggage and Secrets and Lattes.

She admits however she did dwell for a moment before agreeing to appear in her own play.

But surely it’s not nepotism when you look after Number One?

“That’s right,” she says, smiling. “I’m in all my radio shows but I sometimes wonder about appearing in something I’ve written. Then I think ‘I’d quite like a job.’”

Did she find it easy to write farce, with its big moments, doors crashing, tables toppling over?

“It’s been a challenge,” she says, laughing. “But Morag has great experience in comedy and farce.”

Hilary adds; “It’s great to be able to write about women’s lives. I don’t really see myself writing about the fishing crises in Norway.”

If we’re talking on the theme of write what you know, will she ever write a play about an actress who marries a man who goes on to be a Hollywood star, given she was once married to Alan Cumming?

“Well, I think some of that story was quite useful when I wrote Baggage,” she says, smiling. “I guess it’s been done.”

*Ding-Dong, Oran Mor, until Saturday.