Brian Beacom

JOCKY Wilson won the World Professional Darts Championship in 1982, the former coal man from Fife becoming a national hero in the process.

Now, Jocky’s story – he grew up in an orphanage when his parents were deemed unfit to raise him – is told in this week’s Oran Mor play Jocky Wilson Said.

Written by Jane Livingstone and Jonathan Cairney, it features a single day in the life of the tubby darts legend.

In 1979, Jocky was on his way to an exhibition darts match in Los Vegas when he found himself stranded in the Nevada desert.

Grant O’Rourke, who plays Jocky, says it’s the perfect opportunity for his character to offer his reflections on life, and love . . .

And the pressures that come with trying to throw a tiny arrow into a half centimetre space seven and a half feet away.

“Jocky was a fascinating character,” he says of the darts ace who died five years ago this month.

“This is a chance to get inside his mind. He was a family man, he didn’t want to be away from them, yet here he was in Nevada, trying to earn money for them.”

Grant adds; “The play doesn’t set out to trash Jocky. It’s a respectful piece.”

Grant, now 37, studied at Glasgow’s RSAMD.

“I was lucky enough to have the option of Glasgow or studying at the Guildhall in London,” he says.

“But I chose Glasgow. The college has such a fantastic reputation.”

He adds, grinning; “And there is less bitchiness in Scotland. The actors are really supportive of each other.

“I’m certainly happy if a friend lands a good role. But I don’t think that’s the same feeling in London.”

Grant didn’t immediately leap into thought of becoming an actor, although he was mesmerised by the world.

“I once worked as a projectionist at the Pavilion Cinema in the Borders and this was fantastic.

“I got to watch great films every single week.

“And thanks to that I went on to study film, thinking that’s where my direction lay.”

He adds, smiling; “I did other jobs before I made my mind up to try acting.

“I was a croupier, I worked in a call centre and I was a roofer for a couple of weeks. But that wasn’t going to last long. I was scared of heights, although I managed to get away with it because the roofs aren’t very high on homes in the Borders.”

Grant, who has starred in Outlander as Rupert, (“I’m sworn to secrecy about the third series”) has a great range of theatre experience, including playing Hamlet, Steve Jobs in the Agony and Ecstasy of . . and a previous stint at Oran Mor.

He won the CATS theatre award in 2015 for his appearance in The Venetian Twins, in which he played the two brothers.

“One bloke in the audience came up to me afterwards and asked why didn’t the other brother come out for a bow at the end of the show,” says Grant.

“I took that as a tremendous compliment.”

What strikes about the actor is he is not blinded by ambition. When his agent suggested Grant was attracting Hollywood interest, the actor didn’t consider taking himself over with a view to landing a nice sitcom or film role.

“I have a six year-old son,” he says. “I really wouldn’t want to leave him at this age, or do anything that would disrupt his life.”

Commendable. But does he feel it’s a chance missed?

“If it is it is,” he says in soft voice.

His chance will come, if effort equals reward.

It’s clear, for example, Grant has put a great deal into his efforts to morph into Jocky.

Grant has been reading all there is to read about the darts legend and watching videos.

“He had a strange throwing action,” says the actor. It was called the Yerk.

“I think it’s to do with his lack of height. He was just five feet tall.

“Someone like Eric Bristow was tall and so close to the board so he could lean in but Jocky couldn’t do that.”

Could Grant manage to land a couple of treble twenties if called to, for the sake of art?

“I could just about manage to hit the board,” he says, laughing.

“I love darts, and I played as a kid but I have none of the Jocky talent.”

• Jocky Wilson Said, Oran Mor, until Saturday.