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A Noble Clown

 
Paul Fisher Cockburn Review by Paul Fisher Cockburn 4 Published: 1 Aug 2025 Scottish Storytelling Centre Show Dates: 31 Jul 2025-14 Aug 2025

Live theatre may be ephemeral, and yet it remains incredibly vital to our culture – as seen in Michael Daviot’s sharply observed take on the legacy of (John) Duncan Macrae.

Deftness, fluidity and without theatrical excess.

For just two decades following the Second World War, Macrae was one of Scotland’s most recognisable character actors on stage and screen – and yet now, nearly 60 years after his death from an undiagnosed brain tumour, he is fading into obscurity despite his significant role – as an actor, director and producer – in the development of a distinct “independent theatre style” in Scotland during the latter half of the 20th century.

Originally performed to great reviews at the Scottish Storytelling Centre last year, this is a slightly cut-down version of A Noble Clown – the original, two-hour version included the dramatic pause of an interval, the ghost of which still remains here. We encounter Macrae in a “bit of a scunner” afterlife, flitting in and out of memories of his biggest roles – both on stage and off. This means we can shift, in the blink of an eye and some carefully choreographed lighting changes, from the memory of the 1960 Royal Court Theatre production of Eugène Ionesco’s Rhinoceros – starring Laurence Olivier, produced by Orson Welles – to a humble wonder at natural beauty while walking with his young daughters on holiday in Millport.

As writer and performer, it’s clear Daviot knows his subject well, but he is also aware of the risks inherent in such autobiographical “tell, don’t show” productions – so he deftly leaves it to brief snatches of some of Macrae’s most notable roles – ranging from the serious (such as Inspector Goole in J B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls) to the comedic (Macrae’s numerous Hogmanay TV recitations of The Wee Cock Sparra) – to do some of the narrative heavy lifting.

This exploration of Macrae’s life and career is not without its occasional sour notes: his occasional arrogance once successful as a performer – be it comparing a whole theatre company in Dublin unfavourably to himself, or deliberately upstaging his Para Handy castmates during a Radio Times photoshoot. Clearly, there’s much that’s barely touched on – the darker aspects of his marriage to Peggy, for instance – and we naturally yearn for more.

Nevertheless, what we are left with is a strong sense of Macrae’s character and motivations, shared by Daviot with deftness, fluidity and without theatrical excess. One senses, however, that Macrae would have expected no less.

Amir Nisi

Paul Fisher Cockburn

Paul Fisher Cockburn is an Edinburgh-based freelance journalist and editor.

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The Blurb:

Duncan Macrae, Scotland’s greatest actor, star of the Citizens Theatre, a champion of the early Edinburgh Fringe and theatre for all – especially in the Scots tongue. This new play explores Macrae's life through some of his greatest roles, from Macbeth and Jamie the Saxt to his signature tune, the Wee Cock Sparra. A performance full of passion and respect for his public achievement and his private depth. A life cruelly cut short as international fame beckoned... 'There’s something remarkably special here' ***** (CorrBlimey.uk). 'First rate' ***** (AllEdinburghTheatre.com). 'Beautifully mercurial performance' ***** (MustSeeTheatre.com). Directed by Michael Nardone.
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