Reimagining Francis Bacon: Inside the turbulent relationship that inspired new Fringe show Buggers

Buggers is a haunting new play exploring the volatile relationship between artist Francis Bacon and his lover and muse George Dyer, charting the couple’s relationship from lustful beginnings to devastating collapse, examining power, addiction and the emotional cost of artistic ambition. Written by and starring Alistair Hall, we chat to him about the passion and tenderness in the relationship the play portrays.

How did you first learn about Francis Bacon and George Dyer?

I saw a 90s film called Love is the Devil - which is about Bacon and Dyer - it was my gateway into becoming a fan of Bacon’s work. I was actually more obsessed with Bacon as a person than his relationship with Dyer. After seeing the two recent blockbuster Bacon exhibitions in London - Man and Beast (Royal Academy) and Human Presence (National Portrait Gallery) I really saw the power of Bacon’s portraits of George, and I began to interpret the potency of their relationship in my own way really.

You were granted rare access to archival material from the Estate of Francis Bacon. How did that shape the writing process?

It was hugely influential. Some of the material relating to Dyer and Bacon is incredibly tender and offers an insight into their daily life. There are photographs that capture the couple building a real life together. They are widely known as this turbulent couple that manifested disaster after disaster, but I always wanted Buggers to look at the genuine love they felt for each other.

As both writer and performer, what was the biggest challenge in stepping into the shoes of someone as complex and contradictory as Francis Bacon?

We’ll find out. I think that’s a conclusion I’ll be able to come to once the production is finished. The work so far has been taking him down from a pedestal and seeing him as a human being. Bacon and I are worlds apart but I’m also surprised by how much we have in common and that’s what I’m interested in exploring.

Dyer came from a very different social world to Bacon. How important was class to understanding the power dynamic between them, especially at that time?

Massively important. It really feeds the play. Dyer was from a working class background and had far less resources available to him. Many of the personal struggles both men dealt with are very much aligned yet Dyer is the one who didn’t make it. Whilst I do believe that Bacon really loved Dyer, he also fetishised his working-class roots.

The play is set against a period when queer relationships existed under very different social pressures. How much does the story feel rooted in its time, and how much does it speak to the present day?

In many ways, Bacon and Dyer may have felt invincible because they existed in and around Soho - which, at the time, was a wild, eccentric and creative place. Many queer souls gathered there at night and gave each other permission to just be. It would have been a very different life together if they were living in suburban Swindon. Bacon also had money and privilege, meaning he could live in a bubble that kept him safe from certain aspects of life - Dyer didn’t really have this luxury unless he was under Bacon’s wing. Both men grapple with their own shame though, and the play gets underneath the skin of this. I know plenty of queer people, myself included, who have struggled with some of the same issues Bacon and Dyer came up against.

The title Buggers is provocative and playful. How did you arrive at it?

It’s inspired by the nickname given to a painting by Bacon called ‘Two Figures’. It was painted in 1953 and was hugely controversial. Homosexuality was then illegal and the painting clearly depicts two naked men wrestling- it’s both sexual and violent. Artist Lucien Freud bought it from Bacon and apparently nicknamed it ‘The Buggers.’ It just got me thinking about the word Buggers and the different meanings it holds- it can be cheeky, it can be explicit, it can be an insult.

What conversations have you had in rehearsals that could only happen because you're making this show in 2026 rather than 1976?

That’s such a good question. I’d love to know what our conversations would sound like if we were making the show back then. The play is set between 1963 and 1973 and I believe that decades have had to pass in order to be able to present that moment in time in the specific way Buggers does. If I was trying to make the show then, it would probably be so different.

What do you hope audiences leave reflecting on?

The power and complexities of love. Plus, Bacon is already so iconic to so many - I hope audiences really have a moment to reflect on Dyer’s legacy too.

Buggers will be performed at 1:20pm at Pleasance Courtyard from 5th – 30th August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Booking link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/buggers