Young teams have never gone away

Show director backs campaign to tackle youth violence

- RUTH SUTER

A PLAY that aims to depict the impact of gang culture and knife crime in Scotland is to take to the stage amid a youth violence epidemic.

When We Were Young tells the story of a "young team" who plagued street corners in Glasgow between 1999 and 2005, when the city was dubbed the murder capital of Europe.

It follows the group as they navigate life from their teenage years into adulthood in poverty stricken Govan.

It portrays the challenges the youths face as characters become involved in knife crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

Author and co-director Liam Lambie penned the play to reflect his own experiences with gang culture as a young man growing up in Airdrie.

The 36-year-old, who studied performing arts, was inspired to raise awareness of the impact of gang culture, which he claims has "never gone away".

He told the Record: "I wasn't in a gang but that culture was so prominent growing up.

"We always heard stories about people we knew being stabbed.

"Even though that was so long ago, gang cultur among youths has never gone away.

"The 'young team' mentality has never died.

Liam revealed he has been affected by the Daily Record's Our Kids... Our Future campaign, which aims to tackle the issue of youth violence in Scotland.