Uncover Hidden Secrets of Trainspottings Musical Adaptation

After months of anticipation, the musical version of the 90s film Trainspotting opened in London's West End on Wednesday night. 

Based on his 1993 novel by , the film was released three years later and made stars of and Kelly Macdonald as well its director . 

The black drama comedy follows a group of heroin addicts living in a run-down part of as it explores urban poverty and drug addiction in the Scottish capital.

And the cult heroes of British youth culture Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud, Tommy and Kelly reunited as the curtain lifted on the new musical. 

Made in just 35 days, the film was never expected to become the mass success it did, even winning the BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay. 

So with the musical debut in full swing, here are 12 surprising facts about the film you didn't know. 

Robert Carlyle wasn't meant to play Begbie 

While Robert Carlyle bagged the role of Begbie, he wasn't the director Danny Boyle's first choice. 

Surprisingly Danny wanted former star Christopher Eccleston for the role of the violent sociopath. 

Christopher turned down the role, explaining he thought it would be cliche to cast a northern man in the most violent role. 

He wrote to Danny saying he thought he should play Renton instead, but that part of course went to Ewan McGregor. 

Ewan McGregor considered trying heroin 

Ewan admitted he even thought about trying heroin himself in a bid to truly understand his character. 

'I did actually think about trying heroin,' he told The Hollywood Reporter, 'At first, early on, I thought: how can you play a heroin addict without having taken it? 

'I was young and I thought, f**k it, just do it. And also John Hodge, our writer, was a doctor, so I thought he could probably get us some and administer it so we don’t die. 

'I thought I’d do it with Danny. I just wanted to get f*****d up with Danny! But we didn’t. Because of course as soon as we started the first thing I remember doing was meeting heroin addicts in Glasgow.

'As soon as I met the real deal, I thought it would be hugely disrespectful to them to be taking heroin.'

Begbie was gay

Despite presenting as a stereotypical alpha-male, Robert Carlyle has since revealed he is convinced Begbie was secretly gay. 

After reading the scene where he meets a transsexual in a nightclub, Robert said: 'He picks up the transsexual in the nightclub and there’s the scene in the car where he puts his hands between the trousers and finds out it’s the real deal.

'Now why doesn’t he just kill this person? He kills everybody else, why doesn’t he do that? He gets frightened of it and backs away.

'Back at the flat, Begbie reacts to Renton winding him up about it and says, "Don’t you ever mention that again or you’re dead." I thought, "That’s interesting, that’s really too strong."' 

Robert shared that Irvine even agreed with his interpretation, saying that while his sexuality was ambiguous in the book, on screen he was probably played gay. 

Robert also explained that Dann wanted him to portray a 'homosexual Ian Rush' so he grew a moustache to look like the Liverpool player and dressed in brightly coloured Pringles jersey. 

Irvine Welsh cameo 

While Irvine was deeply involved in the cinematic production of Trainspotting, he also made a cameo in the film. 

Irvine had a guest role as local drug dealer Mikey Forrester who supplies Renton with opium suppositories. 

He went on to reprise the role in the 217 sequel T2 Trainspotting. 

Ewan McGregor lost two stone for role 

Actors often make physical changed to their appearance for roles. 

And Ewan fully committed himself to the role of Renton, losing two stone and shaving his head to play the heroin addict. 

After reading the book, Ewan was definite he wanted the part and told the director: 'Give me a couple of months and I’ll be ready.

'And that’s what he did,' said Danny, 'He basically said, "Hey, this is mine!" and f*****d off and we waited to see if he could lose the weight.'

Ewan embarked on a strict diet, he cut out dairy and beer, drinking lots of gin instead, and grilled everything he ate.

After the star turned up at the London offices ready for the part, Danny recalled 'Renton appearing. He was f*****g Renton. He was as skinny as f**k.'

There are over 100 profanities 

Known for its use of severe profanities and Scottish slang, a variation of the word f**K is used over 100 times over the course of the film. 

Meanwhile the ‘C’ word is used 18 times.

Ewan McGregor's penis wasn't shown in the US version 

While Ewan wasn't afraid to bare all in the film, he revealed that his nude scene was censored for the US version. 

'I don’t think you see my penis in the American version,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. 

'When I come out into the corridor and snap the Durex off, I think you can see my penis in the British one, but not the American one.'

The film was shot in only 35 days... but made £48million 

While it became a mass success, Trainspotting only had a tight budget of £1.5million and was shot over just 35 days. 

Producer Andrew Macdonald explained he had concerns about the extreme scenes: 'That’s why we were very keen to make the film cheaply. Because we knew that there was a responsibility that telling this story might not translate to box office and commercial success. 

'We felt very responsible about that, but we also knew we had to do it. So that’s why it’s just seven weeks and under two million quid.'

However, despite fears it wouldn't get released, it earned £48million at the worldwide box office, which was a huge figure in 1996. 

The Crosslands pub is now a hipster bar

The Crosslands pub was famously known as the scene where Begbie launches a glass over his shoulder and causes a massive pub brawl. 

Based in Glasgow's West End, the pub has now undergone a huge transformation and is now a hipster bar The BrewHaus – Beer Garden & Kitchen.

The pub invites fans to 'step inside and experience a piece of movie history while enjoying our top-quality drinks and entertainment'.

However, instead of the working class haunt, it is now rather upmarket, offering a range of world-class beers and pizza, burgers and wings. 

Kelly Macdonald was actually 19 years old  

She's since become a huge British actress, however, Kelly Macdonald was 19 years old when she was cast to play 14-year-old schoolgirl Diane. 

The director specifically wanted an unknown actress for the role and Kelly was working in a bar when she was handed a flyer for the audition call.

Speaking about how she felt after her audition, she told The Guardian in 2022: ' I remember getting on the bus after my final audition.'

'It was a screen test and I left their makeshift studio that we filmed in on Alexandra Parade [in Glasgow], and I waited for the bus and I sat up on the top deck. And I knew it was between me and one other person. And I sort of knew I’d got it. 

'I had a feeling: ‘This is my life starting now.’ It was a clear fork in the road.'

Parts were dubbed for the US version 

Due to the strong Scottish accents, parts of the film was dubbed to make it clearer for American audiences. 

Andrew Macdonald later said: 'There’s a lot of mystery about [the dubbed version]. Danny and I don’t remember it happening.'

Ewan confirmed: 'I’ve heard it. We were forced to rerecord the beginning, the first 15-20 minutes. 

'So if you listen to the American version of Begbie’s story of when he throws his glass over his shoulder you can actually understand some of the words, which is not the case in the original. 

'I was disappointed. I downloaded it to watch on my way to shoot the sequel and as soon as it started, I was like, “Oh f**k it’s the American one.”'

Ewen Bremner had previously played Spud on stage 

Ewen Bremner was already familiar with the role of Spud when he was cast in the film after already playing the character in the original stage adaptation. 

However originally Ewen wasn't keen for the role. 

After two years touring in the stage show, Ewen revealed his heart sank when the film script arrived  

'As soon as I read it, I knew it had been written for Ewan McGregor,' Ewen revealed. 

After being offered the role, Ewen told his agent to turn it down, however Danny kept the job offer on the table in the hope that he would change his mind – and eventually he did. 

Ewen recalled: 'My feelings didn’t change up until the last minute. I cannot believe, looking back, that I turned my nose up at it.

'I cannot believe that I was on that precipice of making a huge mistake and I sincerely meant it as well. It just shows how silly you can be. It was my ego and snobbery, choking me up about it.'