The Real Mackay: Walter Scott’s Favourite Comedian
28th November 2024
Summary of the Talk:
Helen's talk recounts her journey of discovering, researching, and writing about her ancestor Charles Mackay—a celebrated 19th-century Scottish stage actor known as The Real Mackay and famed for his portrayal of Bailie Nicol Jarvie in stage adaptations of Rob Roy.
It all began with a handwritten family note referencing Mackay as an actor and friend of Sir Walter Scott. Helen delved into genealogical research and unearthed multiple sources confirming this connection, including anecdotes, portraits, and historical records. Inspired by this discovery, she wrote a biographical novel to bring Charles Mackay’s story to life, contributing to Scottish theatre history and family heritage.
Mackay’s comic genius and cultural impact earned him admiration from none other than Sir Walter Scott, who wrote letters praising his performance, attended his shows, and publicly toasted him. Mackay's legacy also lives on in the phrase “the real Mackay”, the likely origin of the now global expression “the real McCoy.”
Helen’s talk also touches on the challenges of writing the novel, her discovery of a 1960s play about Mackay, and the thrill of having her book featured in the Edinburgh Central Library’s display of influential Scottish writing.
Notable Highlights & Interesting Points
- Origin of “The Real Mackay”: The phrase reportedly comes from an audience member's reaction when Mackay’s understudy performed in Rob Roy: “That’s no’ the real Mackay!” This likely evolved into “the real McCoy”, especially after adoption in whisky advertising.
- Sir Walter Scott’s Endorsement:
- Scott attended Mackay’s shows incognito and praised his portrayal of the Bailie as “equal to anything I have ever seen on the stage.”
- He sent Mackay a benefit gift (a five-ell web of cloth) and letters expressing personal and professional admiration.
- At a public dinner in 1827, Scott raised a toast to “my friend Bailie Nicol Jarvie,” causing rapturous applause and affirming Mackay’s place in the cultural landscape.
- Mackay’s Career:
- Rose to fame after the 1819 Edinburgh debut of Rob Roy, playing the Bailie over 1,000 times.
- Was offered a contract at Drury Lane in London but chose to remain in Edinburgh with his family.
- Played other major comic roles and even took on a female part (Meg Dodds) written specifically for him by Scott.
- Revival of Interest:
- Helen discovered a 1970s one-man play The Bailie by Donald Mackenzie that also celebrated Mackay’s life.
- Her book is now part of a display in Edinburgh Central Library alongside works by Scott, Hogg, and Ramsay.
- Personal Connection: Helen is Charles Mackay’s five-times-great niece. Her journey started from a family note and led to an extensive literary and historical project that spanned years.
- Legacy:
- A monument to Mackay was erected in Old Calton Burial Ground in 1864.
- Helen’s second novel, continuing the story with Mackay’s granddaughter, is due in 2026.
If you're at all interested in Scottish theatre, Walter Scott, or literary genealogy, it's a rich, affectionate, and deeply researched talk—tracing one man’s life and impact across personal, cultural, and national lines.
Download the [transcript]
Download the [transcript]
Helen Graham has worked as a knitwear designer and a filmmaker and has renovated several historic buildings. She has published articles and short stories, written a memoir, a poetry anthology and six volumes of family history books. The Real Mackay: Walter Scott’s Favourite Comedian, published in May 2024, is her first novel.
Helen has also composed and recorded numerous songs, directed several award-winning short films, co-founded a community film festival and raised a family.
Brought up in Oxfordshire, she now lives in Edinburgh.
Introduction
How I discovered Charles Mackay was my ancestor and was very likely to have been the origin of the phrase The Real Mackay; why I decided to write a book about his life. The journey of my research, the discovery of two portraits and a play about Mackay’s life called The Bailie.
The Real Mackay
An outline of how Charles Mackay came to be an actor, how he came to play the part of the Bailie in Rob Roy (among many other roles) and how he came to be part of the Edinburgh Theatre Royal’s stock company, turning the finances of the theatre around by his immediate and extraordinary popularity.
Walter Scott’s Favourite Comedian
How Scott was ‘electrified’ by Mackay’s performance in Rob Roy in Edinburgh, in February1819, and wrote to him as Jedediah Cleishbotham – marking the beginning of a long friendship. Extracts from other letters of Scott’s about Mackay, an account of the King’s visit in 1822 and of Charles Mackay playing the part of Meg Dodds in St Ronan’s Well, 1824.
Conclusion
An account of the unveiling of Sir Walter Scott as the writer of Waverley at the Theatrical Fund Dinner in 1827, and the credit Scott gave to Mackay for bringing his characters to life. Their friendship through letters continued until Scott’s final illness. A brief mention of Mackay’s ongoing career, his retirement and death, and an explanation of how the phrase eventually became a whisky advertising slogan.
Synopsis: The talk is about Helen’s ancestor, a famous comic actor called Charles Mackay widely known in his day as The Real Mackay, and about how she first heard of him and the family story claiming he was the origin of this well-known phrase. This talk also explores the idea that Mackay was Scott’s favourite comedian, perfectly embodying the characters Scott had created in his national dramas, especially Bailie Nicol Jarvie, whom he played over a thousand times.
