The talk of The Steamie: Stars of returning stage show on enduring classic
It’s third time lucky for Louise, who considered quitting acting when she failed to twice land a role in The Steamie.
“I was in London doing Mamma Mia years ago when the part of Doreen came up, but my pal got it and I was devastated,” said Louise, who plays Magrit.
“It came around a couple of years later and I lost out again. It was a sore one and I thought I would chuck it, because if I couldn’t get The Steamie then maybe I wasn’t meant to be doing this.
“But I’m delighted the way it’s turned out. Maybe it’s fate and I was never supposed to be Doreen.”
Losing out was hard because of what The Steamie means to the Scot Squad star.
“Watching it was a New Year tradition in our house and I fell in love with it. The Steamie made me want to be an actor.
“I auditioned for a local drama class using Isn’t It Wonderful to Be A Woman, the speech from The Steamie.”
Louise believes one reason for the play’s longevity is because the issues are timeless.
“The pressures on women, and people in general, are still as relevant today, if not more so. The sense of community isn’t as close-knit as it was then. Maybe community needs to come back.”
The River City star wouldn’t be an actor were it not for The Steamie.
Gayle, who plays Caitlin in the soap, was entranced by the story when she first saw it on TV.
“I adored it from the moment I saw it,” Gayle, who plays Dolly, said. “I watched it on Hogmanay when I was seven and from that moment I wanted to be an actor. When it finished, I said to my mum, ‘make me an actress, send me to drama school’, and I started Saturday morning drama classes and went from there.
“What I heard in The Steamie were the conversations my gran would have with my aunties, that Glaswegian patter. It was talking about the old days and I’ve always been an old soul.”
Gayle and co-star Louise Mccarthy say The Steamie partly inspired their stage alter-egos, The Dolls, two Glasgow cleaners whose reflections on life have proved a big hit to audiences.
She added: “This is my first opportunity to be part of The Steamie and what a height to go in at, playing the Hydro.
“It’s going to be nerve-wracking but also very enjoyable. My daughter is seven, the same age I was when I saw it, and she’ll be coming along to see it on Hogmanay.”