Contributor |
Duncan MacDougall
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Gender |
Male |
Nationality |
Scottish |
Date of Birth |
1878 |
Date of Death |
1953 |
Functions |
Actor, Director, Entrepreneur, Producer
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Notes |
Came to Sydney 1887. See ADB https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/macdougall-duncan-11408 |
NLA |
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1465092 |
Related Contributors |
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Events |
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- The Emperor Jones, ABC Radio, Sydney - Market Street Studios, Sydney, NSW, 26 February 1933
- The Man Who Ate the Popomack, Playbox Theatre, Sydney, NSW, 31 October 1931
- A Woman and Reality, Playbox Theatre, Sydney, NSW, 9 October 1931
- Desire Under the Elms, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 8 February 1930
- Strange Interlude, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 30 November 1929
- The Good Hope, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 24 July 1929
- Spread Eagle, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 16 March 1929
- Four People, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 5 December 1928
- The Fanatics, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 13 June 1928
- From Morn to Midnight, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 March 1928
- The Awakening of Spring, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 September 1927
- Juno and the Paycock, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 1 June 1927
- Business is Business, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 6 April 1927
- The Emperor Jones, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 3 November 1926
- He Who Gets Slapped, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 1 September 1926
- Prunella, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 21 July 1926
- The Insect Play, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 31 March 1926
- Knock; or The Triumph of Medicine, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 October 1925
- The Pushcart Vendor, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 6 May 1925
- Morality?, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 18 November 1924
- Damaged Goods, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 17 August 1924
- Five Nights in 'Frisco, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 15 April 1924
- The Hairy Ape, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 12 November 1923
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Director- The Man Who Ate the Popomack, Playbox Theatre, Sydney, NSW, 31 October 1931
- A Woman and Reality, Playbox Theatre, Sydney, NSW, 9 October 1931
- Desire Under the Elms, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 8 February 1930
- The Good Hope, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 24 July 1929
- Four People, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 5 December 1928
- The Fanatics, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 13 June 1928
- From Morn to Midnight, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 March 1928
- The Awakening of Spring, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 September 1927
- Juno and the Paycock, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 1 June 1927
- Business is Business, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 6 April 1927
- He Who Gets Slapped, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 1 September 1926
- Prunella, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 21 July 1926
- The Insect Play, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 31 March 1926
- The Pushcart Vendor, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 6 May 1925
- Morality?, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 18 November 1924
- Damaged Goods, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 17 August 1924
- Five Nights in 'Frisco, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 15 April 1924
- The Hairy Ape, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 12 November 1923
Actor- The Emperor Jones, ABC Radio, Sydney - Market Street Studios, Sydney, NSW, 26 February 1933
- The Man Who Ate the Popomack, Playbox Theatre, Sydney, NSW, 31 October 1931
- Desire Under the Elms, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 8 February 1930
- Five Nights in 'Frisco, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 15 April 1924
Producer- Strange Interlude, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 30 November 1929
- The Emperor Jones, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 3 November 1926
- Knock; or The Triumph of Medicine, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 October 1925
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- Desire Under the Elms, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 8 February 1930
- Strange Interlude, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 30 November 1929
- The Emperor Jones, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 3 November 1926
- The Hairy Ape, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 12 November 1923
- Four People, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 5 December 1928
- The Fanatics, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 13 June 1928
- Damaged Goods, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 17 August 1924
- Morality?, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 18 November 1924
- Prunella, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 21 July 1926
- The Good Hope, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 24 July 1929
- Prunella, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 21 July 1926
- Morality?, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 18 November 1924
- Morality?, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 18 November 1924
- The Hairy Ape, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 12 November 1923
- Morality?, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 18 November 1924
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- A Woman and Reality, Playbox Theatre, Sydney, NSW, 9 October 1931
- Desire Under the Elms, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 8 February 1930
- Strange Interlude, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 30 November 1929
- The Good Hope, Playbox Theatre (Crown Street), Sydney, NSW, 24 July 1929
- Spread Eagle, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 16 March 1929
- Four People, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 5 December 1928
- From Morn to Midnight, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 March 1928
- The Awakening of Spring, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 September 1927
- Juno and the Paycock, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 1 June 1927
- Business is Business, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 6 April 1927
- The Emperor Jones, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 3 November 1926
- He Who Gets Slapped, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 1 September 1926
- Prunella, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 21 July 1926
- The Insect Play, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 31 March 1926
- Knock; or The Triumph of Medicine, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 28 October 1925
- The Pushcart Vendor, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 6 May 1925
- Morality?, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 18 November 1924
- Damaged Goods, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 17 August 1924
- Five Nights in 'Frisco, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 15 April 1924
- The Hairy Ape, St James' Hall (1887-1961), Sydney, NSW, 12 November 1923
- The Fanatics, Playbox Theatre (Rowe Street), Sydney, NSW, 13 June 1928
- The Emperor Jones, ABC Radio, Sydney - Market Street Studios, Sydney, NSW, 26 February 1933
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Resources |
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Duncan Macdougall, of Playbox Theatre fame, has gone to his rest, closing an exciting chapter in the history of the theatre in Sydney, where he was a vital figure for nearly 20 years. As a young fellow I was admitted to Duncan’s inner circle, and was associated with him in all his ups and downs and many battles until he gave up the role of actor-manager for teaching dramatic art and gardening at Artarmon (Sydney). As a boy Duncan was with Angus and Robertson in its early years ; later he went abroad and had a repertory company of his own in London, where he lived with Ramsay MacDonald, and in New York, where he was a friend of Eugene O’Neill. Returning to Sydney about 1920, he gave a season of plays at the St. James’s Hall, Phillip street, which set the critics buzzing. All the plays were new to Sydney audiences, and I can still recall my excitement at seeing O’Neill’s “The Hairy Ape,” Ernest Toller’s “Masses and Man,” and Georg Kaiser’s “From Morn to Midnight.” Calling upon Duncan with an offer of help in the work he was doing to put new life into the theatre in Sydney, I was promptly recruited to play a part in a play by Anatole France. I was a flop, and Duncan decided that I would be more use to him as his publicity-manager. By then he had started his Playbox Theatre in Rowe-street, which I described as a “lane that had strayed from the Latin Quarter of Paris,” which delighted Duncan immensely. On a pocket-handkerchief stage, with hardly a penny in his pocket, but with all the pluck in the world, he set out to give Sydney some thing new in the way of drama. The commercial theatre was pursuing its old course of giving the usual run of musical comedies, revivals and tame London successes. Gregan McMahon had not long moved in from Melbourne, and was doing a good service with plays which would otherwise not have been seen in Australia. Duncan, who was as revolutionary as McMahon was conservative, left McMahon to the production of safe repertory pieces by Milne, Drinkwater, Maugham and Chesterton, and went in for new, bolder and experimental productions. The two men were keen rivals. At Rowe-street, and later at Crown-street, East Sydney, and Young-street, near Circular Quay, the' Playbox Theatre packed them in with such plays as Sean O’Casey’s “Juno and the Paycock,” Karel Capek’s “R.U.R.,” O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones,” Marc Connelly’s “Green Pastures,” Frank Wedekind’s “Spring’s Awakening” and half-a-hundred more — all lively box-office attractions with a kick in them. Duncan made no money, but he knew how to pick and produce a play, and he turned out some fine young actors and actresses. As an actor he was best in parts like the “Paycock” himself, or the downtrodden pushcart vendor in Anatole France’s “Crainquebille.” Duncan dearly loved a fight, and often got into holts with the critics. I witnessed many a verbal battle between him and such men as Paddy Nolan, Billy O’Neill, Gerald Thompson and the redoubtable C. N. Baeyertz. Once, he and Gregan McMahon fought it out for weeks in the pink pages of the old “Sunday Times,” until the editor, Mick Shanahan, threatened to shoot both of them if he saw them about the premises. The theatre and old books were his great loves. He lived a bread-and-butter existence to produce the plays he wanted to produce in his own way, despite tempting offers by commercial interests, and Sydney playgoers are indebted to him for many a brave performance. Sydney will miss the little pink - cheeked, silver - haired Duncan with his musical voice and merry, smile, his zest for life and his ever-ready helping hand to anyone in distress. W.E.F.
Article:  Duncan Macdougall [Obituary], The Bulletin, 74, 3816, 1 April 1953, 35
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Article:  Duncan Macdougall, the Man who played God, Smith's Weekly, 31 December 1932, 21
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Article:  Playbox Theatre. Drama League Formed, The Sun (NSW), 3 July 1923, 15
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Article:  The New Drama, The Australasian, 13 October 1923, 33
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Article:  The Playbox. An unlicenced theatre. Lessee fined., The Sun (NSW), 28 May 1929, 10
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Letter:  Duncan MacDougall, Little Theatres. Mr. Macdougall And Playbox, The Sun (NSW), 18 February 1933, 7
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Identifier |
259119 |
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