Elaine C Smith
Elaine C Smith may be well known as infamous Glaswegian Mary 鈥楧oll鈥� Nesbitt, but the actress and comedian doesn鈥檛 actually come from Glasgow.
But the 鈥楽econd City鈥� would loom large in Elaine鈥檚 future. At the age of 16 she auditioned at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and enrolled on a course to become a drama teacher. As a student Elaine discovered life beyond the Argyle street department stores her mother brought her to as a child. In the smoky pubs Elaine earned a crust tending bar and singing in club bands. She credits this experience for introducing her to the Glasgow patter and helping her acquire a thick skin.
I was in my early 20's before I discovered that Glasgow's history wasn't built on men alone and that many of the city's revolutionary figures were actually women.
Elaine moved to Edinburgh to complete her teacher training but it was her love of theatre that would call her back to her adopted home. Wild Cat Theatre Company was established by former members of 7:84 theatre group and it focused on political subjects with musical features. It was a perfect match for Elaine, famed for her vocal prowess and never one to shy away from a political statement or two.
When Tony Roper handed Elaine his script for a play that had been rejected elsewhere, Elaine took it to the Wild Cat Theatre Company. Tony鈥檚 play The Steamie, became a great success, and still well loved today. It also gave Elaine the chance to show off her acting chops as she was cast as Dolly alongside Dorothy Paul and Katy Murphy.
Since then, Elaine has found success in the comedy scene in seminal Scottish comedy shows such as Naked Video, City Lights and Rab C Nesbitt as well as a stage career that鈥檚 taken her around the world. Elaine now resides in the East End of the city where she still answers to an affectionate 鈥渉o! Mary doll!鈥�
