Ruaraidh Murray

Ruaraidh Murray

Ruaraidh Murray (born 18 September 1975) is a Scottish actor, writer and comedian.

Murray's work includes his critically acclaimed shows Allie and Big Sean, Mikey and Me. Allie was a BBC Scriptroom Drama Finalist 2016. Big Sean, Mikey and Me received The Scotsman’s Hotshow and was longlisted for BBC Screenplay First Award 2016. Murray’s various film roles include playing the lead role of Rory in Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2014/BIFF Award-winning feature film Night Bus. Murray played Tommy, a lead role in the No.1 UK tour of Irvine Welsh's global sensation Trainspotting.

Early life

Murray was born in Edinburgh, Scotland to Fiona (née Grant) and Graeme Murray. Raised in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, he was educated at Stockbridge Primary School and Broughton High School before studying drama at the Oxford School of Drama. Murray was also a member of the Traverse Theatre and Royal Court Theatre’s Young Writer’s Group.

Career

Critical Acclaim

Murray has received much international and national critical acclaim from top circulated press publications such as The Times, The Metro, The Sun, London Evening Standard, The Independent, Time Out, The Stage, The Irish Times, the Daily Record, the Sunday Mail, The Herald, The Scotsman, the Edinburgh Evening News, the Sunday Express, The Dundee Courier, The Inverness Courier, The Skinny and The List.^[3]

Sally Stott quoted in her The Scotsman Hotshow 4 star review of Bath Time, “Murray, the brilliantly versatile writer and performer, is a celebrity to his army of fans…Quentin Tarantino meets Irvine Welsh.”^[4]

Alex Eades’ said in his 4 star The List review of Murray’s play The Club starring Murray and English actor Mark Farrelly, “The performances are magnetic, sparking a wonderful chemistry in this exhilarating and utterly intoxicating razor sharp dark comedy.”^[5]

Nick Awde’s 4 star review in The Stage of The Club said, “There’s a huge amount of promise in this one-acter and you can see this effortlessly expanded to TV.”^[6]

The Stage’s Thom Dibdin wrote in his review of Big Sean, Mikey and Me, ‘MUST SEE! Murray illuminates the psyche of Scottish youth culture.’^[7]

The Metro’s Damon Smith wrote in his 4 star review of Big Sean, Mikey and Me, “Murray’s bravura performance goes from the sublime to the ridiculous in his impressive one man show.”^[8]

The Herald’s theatre critic Neil Cooper’s 4 star review of Bath Time said, ‘It’s a bleak and brutal picture that Murray paints, but this exquisitely constructed little firecracker of a show is possessed with an energy and a common touch that makes it irresistible.’^[9]

The Scotsman’s veteran theatre critic Joyce McMillan said in her 4 star “Women given their voices at long last” full page review said of Murray’s play Allie, “Ruaraidh Murray’s Allie has real flair, terrific energy, and a strong local Edinburgh twist”^[10]

BBC critic Robert Jackman’s 5 star review of Irvine Welsh’s play Trainspotting said of Murray’s performance, “Welsh’s wit is transferred perfectly to stage as Renton and Tommy’s blend of horror and humour reaches almost schizophrenic level. However the self-denial and delusion of Ruaraidh Murray’s Tommy makes his decline even more harrowing.”^[11]

Theatre Wales critic Michael Kelligan’s review of Murray’s performance of Tommy in Trainspotting at the Sherman Theatre Cardiff said, “Murray’s portrayal of Tommy Murphy journeying from bright and bewildered young man to his tragic ending is an exemplary acting performance.”^[12]

The Irish Times’ critic Jane Coyle’s review of Murray’s performance in Trainspotting at the Grand Opera House, Belfast said, “While Renton careers towards the light at the end of the tunnel, Ruaraidh Murray’s sweet natured Tommy tragically fails to find the Big answer, falling prey to sickening humiliations on his decent of the downward slope.”^[13]

Vulture Hound’s critic Jordan Derbyshire’s 5 star review of British feature film Night Bus, which was Officially Selected for the BFI London Film Festival 2014 said of Murray’s role as Rory, “Of the impressive cast Ruaraidh Murray give a stand-out performance.”^[14]

References

External links

• "Ruaraidh Murray: 'Edinburgh is a vital showroom for artists' - Interviews - The Stage". Thestage.co.uk. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
• "Boxman". Edinburghfestival.list.co.uk. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
• Fulton, Rick (17 May 2013). "Scots actor and writer Ruaraidh Murray is hoping Sean Connery will give film his blessing". Dailyrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2017.