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Forbes (Robertson) Masson (born 17 August 1963 inFalkirk) is a Scottish actor and writer. He is an Associate Artist with theRoyal Shakespeare Company. He is best known for his roles in classical theatre, musicals, comedies, and appearances in London's West End. He is also known for his comedy partnership withAlan Cumming.[1] Masson and Cumming wroteThe High Life, a Scottishsituation comedy in which they play the lead characters, Steve McCracken and Sebastian Flight. Characters McCracken and Flight were heavily based onVictor and Barry, famous Scottish comedy alter-egos of Masson and Cumming.[2]Masson also stars in the 2021 filmThe Road Dance, set on the Isle of Lewis as the Reverend MacIver.
Masson completed a three-year drama course at theRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and has aBA in Dramatic Studies.[2] Masson met Cumming during this time, and the pair performed some cabaret work together in order to earnEquity cards.[2]He lives in North London with his wife, Melanie Masson, who was a finalist onThe X Factor in 2012. They have two children.
Masson's first television appearances were in the late 1980s, including an episode ofTaggart. He playedStan Laurel in the episode "Meltdown" of the sitcomRed Dwarf,[2] Eck in the 1992 comedy seriesMy Dead Dad, Rodney Morris inEastEnders (2000), Tam Flood inHamish Macbeth (1996) as well as various roles inIs It Bill Bailey? (1998), working alongsideSimon Pegg. He also played rock-band manager Art Stilton inChannel 4's cult comedyThe Young Person's Guide To Becoming a Rock Star (1998),[1] Cronie McKay inNo Holds Bard (2009),[3] Governor Grantham inDead Boss bySharon Horgan andHolly Walsh (series 1, episode 5,[4] 2012), Patrick inCatastrophe (series 2) bySharon Horgan andRob DelaneyChannel 4 2015, and as Reverend Willard inBBC One'sFather Brown (series 7).[5] In 2023, he appeared inseason 6 ofThe Crown.[6]
| Year | Title | Role | Company | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Babes in the Wood | Victor | Tron Theatre,Glasgow | Michael Boyd | comedy by Forbes Masson and Alan Cumming[7][8] |
| 1988 | Victor and Barry say Goodbye | Victor | Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh | comedy by Forbes Masson and Alan Cumming[9] | |
| 1989 | Clocked Out | Doug | Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh | Ben Twist | play by John McKenzie[10] |
| 1990 | Elizabeth Gordon Quinn | Aidan | Winged Horse | Hamish Glen | play by Chris Hannan[11] |
| 1990 | Laurel & Hardy | Stan Laurel | The Actors' Theatre of Scotland | play byTom McGrath[12] | |
| 2024 | Jekyll & Hyde | Gabriel John Utterson | Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh | Gary McNair's adaptation ofRobert Louis Stevenson's novella forsolo performance |
Other theatre includes:
The Breathing House (Gilbert) by Peter Arnott;Art (Yvan) byYasmina Reza, directed byKenny Ireland;Stiff! (George Mathieson), directed by Caroline Hall;Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick), his first professional Shakespearean role; at theRoyal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (1997).[13]
Endgame bySamuel Beckett (Clov),The Trick is to Keep Breathing byJanice Galloway(Dr Green),Dumbstruck byDavid Kane (Herman Katz),The Real Wurld byMichel Tremblay (Claude), all directed byMichael BoydCinzano byLyudmila Petrushevskaya (Pasha) (directed byRoman Kozak):Tron Theatre Glasgow.
Laurel and Hardy (Stan Laurel): Assembly Edinburgh/Wellington Festival NZ.
The Life of Stuff (Fraser) bySimon Donald:Donmar Warehouse, London.
Loose Ends (Callum),Wormwood (Artemis):Traverse Theatre Edinburgh.
He also appeared asFool toPete Postlethwaite'sKing Lear, directed byRupert Goold atThe Everyman Theatre in Liverpool Autumn 2008 and theYoung Vic in early 2009 withHeadlong Theatre.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Mr. Tumnus) at Threesixty Theatre inKensington Gardens, directed by Rupert Goold and Michael Fentiman, music byAdam Cork.
InMacbeth atTrafalgar Theatre, Whitehall, London, Forbes playedBanquo toJames McAvoy'sMacbeth directed byJamie Lloyd.
In 2014 he played Hastings inRichard III also at Trafalgar Transformed, directed by Jamie Lloyd, withMartin Freeman in the title role.
He worked with James McAvoy again, playing a total of seven different characters, in the revival ofPeter Barnes'sThe Ruling Class directed by Jamie Lloyd for Trafalgar Transformed in early 2015.
In September 2015, he starred alongsideSimon Russell Beale, playingJohn Hunter inIan Kelly's "Mr Foote's Other Leg", at theHampstead Theatre. It had a limited West End run atTheatre Royal Haymarket until early 2016.
He played Lucifer toKit Harington's Faustus andJenna Russell's Mephistopheles in Jamie Lloyd's production ofChristopher Marlowe'sDoctor Faustus at theDuke of York's Theatre, London
In the summer of 2016, he playedPeter Quince withPhill Jupitus as Bottom inLaurence Boswell's production of William Shakespeare'sA Midsummer Night's Dream atTheatre Royal, Bath.
In Autumn 2016, he portrayedLenin inTom Stoppard'sTravesties withTom Hollander at theMenier Chocolate Factory and at theApollo Theatre when the play transferred to the West End in early 2017. It was directed byPatrick Marber.
He played KingCunobeline alongsideGina McKee inTristan Bernays'Boudica atShakespeare's Globe Theatre, directed byEleanor Rhode in Autumn 2017
He appeared withKelsey Grammer, as Circus Owner, Amos Calloway and various other comic characters inNigel Harman's production ofAndrew Lippa andJohn August's musicalBig Fish atThe Other Palace, in Dec 2017
In early 2018 he played bothDr John Buchanan Snr. andRev Winemillar inRebecca Frecknall's critically acclaimed production ofTennessee Williams'Summer and Smoke at theAlmeida Theatre, Islington
In the summer of 2018 he played flower shop owner,Mr Mushnik, alongsideMarc Antolin,Jemima Rooper,Matt Willis andVicky Vox inMaria Aberg's five star revival ofAlan Menken andHoward Ashman's musicalLittle Shop of Horrors at TheRegent's Park Open Air Theatre.
In the autumn of 2018Summer and Smoke will have a West End transfer to The Duke of York's Theatre, London.
Masson has written and composed a series of critically acclaimed Scottish musicals;Stiff!,Mince andPants.[1] He directed the semi-autobiographicalMince with TheDundee Rep Theatre Ensemble, and it was nominated for best musical in The BarclaysTMA Awards in 2001.
At the Tron Theatre, Glasgow from 2001 to 2005 his alternative ChristmasPantomimes includingAladdie andWeans in the Wood were hugely successful. It was at the Tron Theatre where he first worked withMichael Boyd. Masson wrote segments for Michael Boyd'sPilate Project at The Other Place, and devised the promenade piece " At home with Feste" forRSC
His one act comedy musicalCrackers premiered at TheBelgrade Theatre,Coventry in December 2011, directed by Michael Fentiman.[14]
He has also worked withGordon Dougall's Sounds of Progress music theatre company (renamed Limelight in 2010), promoting disability inclusion in the Arts. Dougall was the musical director for the Forbes Masson showsCrackers,Stiff! andMince.[15]
Masson is an Artistic Associate with the RSC and was in theRoyal Shakespeare Company acting ensemble from 2003 to 2011. His roles included Horatio toToby Stephens'Hamlet in 2004,[16] andFeste inTwelfth Night in 2005. Both productions were directed by then RSC Artistic DirectorMichael Boyd. He also played Porter inDominic Cooke'sMacbeth andDromio of Ephesus inNancy Meckler'sComedy of Errors. He played Judas inPilate Project. He performed in Boyd's critically acclaimedHistories cycle inStratford-Upon-Avon and atThe Roundhouse, Camden, in 2006–2008. His roles in the cycle included Bagot inRichard II,[17] Rumour inHenry IV, Part Two,Chorus inHenry V andKing Edward IV inHenry VI andRichard III. In 2009 he played Samson in Boyd's production ofThe Grain Store. He playedRomeo oppositeKathryn Hunter's Juliet inBen Power's adaptation ofRomeo and Juliet calledTender Thing. He playedMerlin inGreg Doran's production ofMike Poulton'sMorte d'Arthur. He played Gena inAhasverus as directed by Michael Fentiman, at theHampstead Theatre. He later appeared asJacques in Boyd'sAs You Like It, andFriar Lawrence inRupert Goold's production ofRomeo and Juliet. Both plays came to the Roundhouse in Camden in late 2010. They playedPark Avenue Armory in New York in summer 2011.In early 2014 he toured England and performed inOhio State University asKatherine inThe Taming of the Shrew directed byMichael Fentiman.In the summer of 2015 he playedBottom in the RSC/Garsington Opera Company co production ofA Midsummer Night's Dream directed byOwen Horsley. For winter 2019 he played Mr Hawtrey in the new musicalThe Boy in the Dress, based on the book byDavid Walliams, and will return for winter 2021 to play the Police Chief in the new musicalThe Magician's Elephant based on the book byKate DiCamillo.
He co-wrote and performed withAlan Cumming in thesituation comedy,The High Life.[1] Masson and Cumming had met at theRoyal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1982 where they formed a cult Kelvinside musical double act "Victor and Barry", which they performed on the alternative comedy circuit.[1][permanent dead link] They were nominated for aPerrier Award in theEdinburgh Festival Fringe in 1988, played theDonmar Warehouse and toured Australia in 1989, playing theSydney Opera House. The characters were killed off onstage at theLondon Palladium in the early 1990s.