“I was appointed Literary Director of the Traverse Theatre in 1997 and James’ play Greta was one of the first unsolicited scripts I read. I immediately loved the play - it is set within the Peterhead fishing community (which James had been a big part of) yet, suprisingly, has at its centre a flamboyant and fascinating character called Greta, played in my production by the late, great Russell Hunter. There were three other characters in Greta’s family, played by Louise Ludgate, Ann Louise Ross and Don Crerar, all actors from the North East of Scotland.

I decided we should go on a field trip to Peterhead as part of rehearsals - and James came down from St. Combs to meet us there. It was a hilarious couple of days, driving up from Edinburgh after rehearsals to stay in rooms above a pub, getting up at the crack of dawn to visit the fish market where Russell charmed the pants of everyone and bought dozens of queen scallops to take home to his wife, Una McLean.”