The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Happy to be a witty workaholic
She has a hectic schedule of television programmes, theatre shows and political activism but Elaine C Smith will be taking time out to stop off at the That’s Fife Comedy Gala
Even the briefest scan of Elaine C Smith’s recent workload tells you that here is someone who finds it difficult to say no.
In 2016 alone, her CV featured the panto at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, playing Miss Hannigan in Annie; appearing in BBC sitcom Two Doors Down and filming a Spanish movie, I Love My Mum.
And that’s not even taking into account her various charitable work and political activism.
As she prepares to take the stage for the comedy gala to launch That’s Fife (rather fittingly on April Fool’s Night), Smith is content to label herself as a workaholic but is striving to downsize her showbusiness duties and concentrate on spending time with her granddaughter.
One story pretty much sums up her hectic schedule.
“A couple of years ago I found a selfhelp book in our guest bedroom called Meditations For Women Who Do Too Much,” she recalls.
“I had been running around totally stressed and doing stupid things, and thought it would be a good thing for me to just sit down and read it.
“When I picked up the book, I realised that my friend had bought it for me in 1991 and it had taken me over 20 years to actually open it. But I think I’m better now at saying ‘no’ these days.”
Thankfully, when Gilded Balloon boss Karen Koren put the call in to find out whether Smith might be able to appear at That’s Fife, she struck it third time lucky.
“I had said no twice but yes this time”, Elaine says.
“I had felt guilty because I like Karen and know what she’s trying to do with the festival.
“Plus, I was available and I do like Fife.”
So, when she takes to the Rothes Halls for her headline slot (Irish-IranianGeordie stand-up Patrick Monahan and Scott Gibson, the Glaswegian comic who won the Best Newcomer Award at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe will be her supporting acts), what’s likely to be in her set?
“Whenever I’m asked to do about half an hour, I think ‘well, that’s one story for me’,” she laughs.
“I’ve been doing a routine for over 20 years about popular song and women and why we’re off our heads, and I’m always amazed at the number of people who ask me to do that bit again.
“I always know how to begin and where the end is but it’s about knowing when to do the politics and where I should put the Mary Nesbitt stuff.”
For such a seasoned performer, it’s hard to believe that Smith still gets the odd butterfly in the stomach whenever she’s about to step on stage.
However, the pre-match nerves she experiences are different from the ones she felt when her career began.
“When you’re 22, it’s about (adopts amusing faux-theatrical voice) ‘will they love me, will they think I’m the finest actress since Vanessa Redgrave?’
“When you’re 58, it’s because you just want to do a good job; it’s about being professional and making sure people have a good time.
“You don’t want them walking away and saying ‘I thought she’d be funnier than that’.
“Some nights you do your surefire stuff and it doesn’t work so well and you think you’ll never do that again and other times you get a standing ovation and you’re a genius: audiences can be so different. But if you know your material and you’ve got your timing right and you’re rehearsed, then it’ll all be fine.”
When you’re 22 it’s about ‘will they think I’m the finest actor since Vanessa Redgrave?’