Tom McGrath the Scottish playwright, and jazz pianist, passed away 29th April 2009.
Born in Rutherglen, McGrath lived in London in the 1960s and was strongly associated with the UK’s underground ‘counterculture’ as founding editor of the hippy bible International Times. He returned to Scotland in 1969 and studied for a degree in English and drama. In 1972 McGrath worked with Billy Connolly as musical director of The Great Northern Welly Boot Show. He also managed the Third Eye Centre (now Centre for Contemporary Arts) for three years from 1974.
He is most famous for writing the popular play Laurel and Hardy. McGrath’s later work included The Hardman in collaboration with gangster-turned-sculptor Jimmy Boyle and an adaptation of Tankred Dorst’s Merlin.
More recently, he was Scottish Arts Council’s associate literary director: a post crucial to the development of many younger playwrights which McGrath held for over a decade.
Tom lived with his partner of 20 years, Ella Wildridge in Kingskettle , Fife.
Sweet one I love you
for your lovely shape,
for the art you make
in paint and bed and rhyme,
but most because we see
into each other’s hearts,
there to read secrets
and to trust,
and cancel time.
