Brian Beacom

FATE throws fortune, but not everyone catches, runs the Polish proverb.

Chris Forbes used to throw basketballs around in the hope of making a career of it.

But when fate intervened, he did have the sense to realise his performance skills were not as he’d imagined.

Aged 16, Scotland international Chris took off to America, to Washington State, on a scholarship to shoot hoops.

It was a long way away, culturally, from his school in Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire.

“I had went over to Vancouver, Washington State, to do my last year of high school,” he explains.

“And as a way to meet people I did a drama class. I’d never done anything like that before but I enjoyed it. And I took part in a talent competition, which was effectively my first stand up effort, and it went well.”

Chris, at six feet two, didn’t make it against the giants of American basketball. “They were bigger, better, faster,” he says, in resigned voice.

When he came back to Scotland Chris persisted with the sporting dream, going on to study Sports Science.

“But the American drama class experience memory had stayed with me,” he recalls. “So I applied to Langside College to do the acting course.

“And while I was at Langside I turned to stand-up, appearing in Blackfriars in Glasgow.”

He adds, grinning; “I wrote a piece about Bird flu which I thought was really good, and was so disappointed when Birdflu went away.”

Thankfully, there are lots of great diseases out there.

“You’re never short of material if you look around.”

Chris went on to become a regular on the comedy circuit, formed a successful sketch group How Do I Get Up There, with James Kirk and Kevin Mains.

And he landed a role in Scots Squad BBC Scotland’s cult comedy, as PC Charlie MacIntosh.

Now he’s making his first Oran Mor. The premise of Wee Free – The Musical also features a major culture shock.

Set in 1984, music teacher Morna (Neshla Caplan) from Glasgow take up a position on the remote Hebridean Isle of Munst.

And the New romantic has to come to terms with the Old Testament lifestyle.

Chris plays Angus Headmaster, who’s not quite as Kirky fundamentalist as many of the islanders.

“He’s as liberal as you can get in that environment,” says the actor, smiling.

Morna’s adventure evokes thoughts of Footloose.

“There are lots of nice little nods to other fish-out-of-water films,” says Chris.

George Drennan plays Angus Minister, a fire-and-brimstone creature and Pauline Knowles plays Ben Angus Minister, his wife.

“It’s an excellent play and the music is brilliant. The writers Hilary Brook and Clive King have done a great job.”

Chris smiles as he acknowledges it took a trip to the States to unleash his inner actor.

“I guess it’s because we still suffer from Calvinist repression in Scotland,” he says, grinning.

“Performance and arts is frowned on. The feeling is you should be playing football.

“But in America the feeling was very different.”

Not only did Chris discover his inner actor in the States, he reveals he also became an ordained minister.

What? Why? How?

“I’m ordained online and I went back last year to officiate at my friend’s wedding.

“It came about because my American pal invited me to the wedding, but somehow, because we’re very close friends, wanted me to be part of it, rather than just be a guest.

“He’s not the most religious type, he’s more of a Redneck type of guy. But it was suggested I become an ordained minister and told me how easy it was to go on-line and sign up.”

This isn’t the sort of thing the clergy on Munst would ever give their blessing to.

Chris, who appeared in stage show Para handy last year, agrees, grinning. “But weddings are fun.”

Does he still shoot hoops, even for fun? “No, but I need to get back to it. That’s a part of my life that’s missing.”

• Wee Free – The Musical, Oran Mor, until Saturday.