Brian Cox of ‘Succession’ Plays Adam Smith’s Ghost in This Bank Drama
‘Make It Happen,’ a new work by British playwright James Graham, follows the very real collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland—with some fantastical elements along the way.
Actor Brian Cox plays the ghost of Adam Smith in a new play about the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Photographer: David Viniter
It was Brian Cox’s idea to include the ghost of Adam Smith in Make It Happen. The new play, by prolific English playwright James Graham, chronicles the dizzying rise and fall of the Royal Bank of Scotland, which culminated in a £46 billion ($62 million) state bailout during the global financial crisis of 2008. “I didn’t know he meant literally,” says Graham of the actor’s suggestion to add the 18th century philosopher and economist. “I thought he meant Smith’s ideas around capitalism and free markets and deregulation. But he said, ‘No. Adam Smith should be a character, and I should play him.’ ”
Commissioned to write the play by a trio of Scottish arts organizations, including the National Theatre, Graham spoke to Cox early in the process. The 79-year-old Succession star was eager to return to the stage in his native Scotland, and Graham was a longtime fan. But his initial reaction was “Oh, that sounds like a terrible idea, Brian.”