Television, Film, Radio & Theatre Actor, Starred as Mary Doll in BBC Two Sitcom ‘Rab C Nesbit’, Won a BAFTA For Her Role as Christine in BBC Comedy ‘Two Doors Down’ & Awarded The Freedom of the City of Glasgow

Elaine C Smith is one of Scotland’s most popular performers. For over 30 years she has worked extensively in radio, television, film and theatre starring in numerous iconic television comedy series such as City Lights (BBC Scotland), Naked Video (BBC 2) and her own television series Elaine (BBC Scotland). However, she was perhaps best known to many for her enduring portrayal of Mary Doll in the ten series of the BBC2 hit sitcom Rab C Nesbit. but that has been eclipsed by her hilarious character Christine in the hugely successful BBC comedy Two Doors Down for which she won a Bafta in 2019. She has since been nominated for another BAFTA this year for the same role.

Elaine has been awarded the freedom of the City of Glasgow. Only 4 women have received this and the last one was in 1969.
Elaine also completed three series of the hugely popular Burdz Eye View for STV. This won Elaine a Royal Television Society Award for On Screen Personality. However, Elaine C Smith is probably most proud of her “Best Fairy in the UK” panto awards!!

She has recently finished playing The Child-catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Elaine was one of the first woman to take on the role. She also toured the UK in a large number of hit stage productions. These included Annie, Calendar Girls and the Susan Boyle musical I Dreamed a Dream, which she co-wrote with Alan McHugh. She was also in Kay Mellor’s musical Fat Friends and was the first woman to play Puntilla at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh.

One of Elaine’s most prominent theatre performances was the original creation of the character Dolly in ‘The Steamie‘. Also, her solo performance as ‘Shirley Valentine’ which was toured and produced by RPM Arts, her own production company.

Over the last couple of years, Elaine received great reactions for her performance in “Ida Tamson”. This was a play by Denise Mina at Glasgow’s Oran Mor. She then did a tour including the Edinburgh International Festival with the National Theatre of Scotland in Jackie Kay’s Red Dust Road.

Sold Out:
Elaine C Smith’s one woman show “65” sold out at the Kings in 4 hours at the Glasgow Comedy festival. She then decided to take the show out to communities like Glasgow’s Castlemilk and Pollock. Elaine did this for free and raised around £10,000 for local food banks.
Elaine C Smith 3W
Elaine has enjoyed great success with younger audiences with her adaptation of The Gruffalo entitled The Glasgow Gruffalo and The Glasgow Grufffalo’s Wean. She also wrote the Scots version of the Princess and the Pea in a fairy tale compilation. Elaine worked on this with Val McDermid and James Robertson.

Pantomime:
For over 20 years, Elaine C Smith is the only woman to have consistently headlined in Scotland’s number one pantomimes. She feels very privileged to be able to keep performing in this wonderful art form.

Elaine C Smith bookThroughout her long career, she has remained a passionate charity campaigner as well as an outspoken political activist particularly on the Scottish constitution and women’s issues. She has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Dundee, Glasgow and the Open University. A Fellowship from North Lanarkshire College was awarded, where she donated an Elaine C Smith Award for a young woman student in comedy.

Elaine’s autobiography Nothing like a Dame was published in 2010.

Adding to the many strings in Elaine C Smith’s bow, she is also an experienced and popular after dinner speaker and awards host. She may even sing a song or two.

Why Hire Elaine C Smith?