We chat to River City star Lorraine Mcintosh
Researching new role as a TV ghost-hunter in comedy drama Thirty years on: Singer hits the road again
Ricky Ross, very definitely isn’t a fan. “If we sit down to watch a film together it’s never a horror.
“I really like being scared as long as it’s on my own terms. If you tried to scare me afterwards though then I wouldn’t be happy.”
Filming for West Skerra Light took place at Corsewall Lighthouse in Wigtownshire, while Long Night At Blackstone was shot at atmospheric Hunterston House in Ayrshire.
One of Scotland’s most popular period properties with filmmakers, 39 Steps and Jonathan Creek have been filmed there. Two series of Outlander were shot at the house and a new David Walliams project had just been completed before the BBC Scotland unit moved in.
“It’s very scary but it’s still full of all the family’s bits and pieces,” said Lorraine, who is currently making the switch from screen to stage. She’s in rehearsals for a new play called Gut, being produced in association with the National Theatre of Scotland. It opens at the Traverse in Edinburgh on April 20 before it moves to the Tron Theatre in Glasgow on May 16.
It’s a psychological drama with Lorraine playing a mother- in- law whose decision about the three- year- old grandson she looks after has major ramifications for the family.
With her musical commitments, it’s not always possible to devote time to taking on theatre of TV projects.
“I would like to get some more acting in, but it’s hard,” she admits. “If we’ve got one gig in August for instance, then that’s enough to rule you out of the Edinburgh Festival.”
The continuing success of Deacon Blue is part of the reason Lorraine’s acting options are limited.
But she says she can’t complain as she’s enjoying every moment with the band who celebrate their 30th anniversary this year.
“I think we appreciate it a lot more than we did all those years ago,” said Lorraine.
“When you’re young you take it for granted. You get to a point when you think it’s easy – people buy your records and come and see you and you think it’s going to go on for ever.
“As you get older you realise that’s not the case and you feel incredibly privileged that people are still interested enough to come along.
“There must be an end point at some stage but none of us feel like it at the moment. When the band split up in the 1990s for five years there was a real feeling that was it forever.
“Ricky had just had enough and didn’t want to write for the band anymore. That feeling just isn’t there now.”
Husband, Deacon Blue singer Ricky Ross, is currently writing in Nashville.
Deacon Blue have released three new albums in the past five years and their sets now pepper more recent tracks alongside fans’ favourites such as Dignity, Real Gone Kid, Wages Day and Fergus Sings The Blues.
They are playing a major UK tour later this year, with dates at the AECC in Aberdeen and the SSE Hydro in Glasgow.
But such is the demand to see the band more foreign dates are being arranged.
“We had a huge following in Spain, it was probably our biggest country after the UK, but we hadn’t been back in 25 years,” Lorraine added.
“We played three gigs in February as a wee taster and it was absolutely phenomenal.
“They all sold out and were packed with people who were so enthusiastic and pleased that we’d come back.
“Fans were telling us afterwards that the last time they saw us they were a student and now they had children at university.
“That was a very special thing for us and we’re now going to go back and do some more dates in Europe before the UK tour.
“We’re looking forward to them, including the Hydro.
“We were actually supposed to be the opening act before a fire meant a delay and Rod Stewart did the first gig.”