Tom McGrath 1940-2009
Posted May 12, 2009 5:42 pm by Andrew Martin | Permalink
While we are working on the drama exhibition which will open at the National Library of Scotland before Christmas it is sad to note that we have lost one of the playwrights who will feature in the displays. Tom McGrath has died aged 68. As is the case with so many Scottish dramatists of the last 40 years his was a fragmented career. He had great success in the 1970s with plays such as Laurel and Hardy, The Hardman which he wrote with Jimmy Boyle, and Animal which famously largely consisted of the grunts of apes. In later years his plays were less prominent on the stage, although his take on Stan and Ollie had great success again in a 2005 revival. McGrath was however much prized and appreciated as a supporter of a younger generation of dramatists through his work with the Scottish Arts Council. Many of the top names of today – David Harrower, David Greig, and Douglas Maxwell among them – pay tribute to his faith and kindness, and he was closely involved in the creation of the Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland in 2004.