Anyone who grew up taking in the magic of Aberdeen’s HMT pantos or watching Two Doors Down will know Elaine C Smith is a woman of many talents.
As a result, the Glaswegian comedian and actress is in high demand.
This year’s schedule includes everything from wearing a crinoline in a new period drama, playing the iconic Christine O’Neil in the Scottish sitcom Two Doors Down, doing a stand-up tour and hosting the Pride of Scotland Awards.
And ironically 2024 was supposed to be a quiet one for the 65-year-old.
However, due to the tragic passing of Two Doors Down creator Simon Carlye in August last year, a lot of pre-planned events for the show were cancelled.
It was then Elaine’s daughter, actor and writer Hannah Elizabeth Morton, suggested she again try her hand at stand-up.
Originally aiming to do one show, Elaine’s second home, Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre, also asked if she would host one in the city.
It then spiralled into a series of community gigs to raise money for foodbanks and women’s groups and it seems her year schedule went much the same way.
Despite this, Elaine said she has got “a wee bit better at saying no” to things.
Which she was close to saying when she was offered a role with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang coming to Aberdeen on Tuesday June 11.
But that was before Elaine found out about the iconic baddie role she would be playing.
‘It’s not about what Chitty Chitty Bang Bang means to me, it’s about the audience’
“When they came [to offer the opportunity] I said ‘Hm, not sure I want to do it'”, she explained.
“Then they said ‘Well, it’s the Childcatcher.’
“I thought ‘Oh that will be great fun, first woman, to play the baddie’…so it’s a bit of a creative challenge.”
When it comes to Elaine’s favourite films, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang would not make the cut.
While she loves Dick Van Dyke and enjoyed seeing friends take on the “magical show” like Paul O’Grady at the London Palladium and Scottish director Robert Scott, she is more of a Mary Poppins fan.
But Elaine added it is much more important about what it means to people: “The number of people who have said, ‘Oh, that’s my favourite film.’
“It’s imprinted in the memory of so many. It’s like Annie, Annie was not my favourite musical but doing it you realise the power of it.
“If you can go and see a show that you know will be fun, have great songs and move you, then that’s what people want to go and see.
“But for me, it’s all about putting light out into the world and entertaining people and it’s all part of that. I think it’s probably needed now more than ever.”
Aberdeen beach tour guide by day
Another bonus is of course a return to the Granite City.
“I always love coming back to Aberdeen, that’s just a given,” she said.
“If it’s on the tour I’m always pleased about that. I didn’t do my one woman show anywhere else outside of Glasgow apart from Aberdeen.”
She admitted she had noticed a big change on Union Street post-Covid but still loves going to the beach and pottering around Cults.
So much so that she acts as the local tour guide for her colleagues.
Elaine said: “When I’m with touring company like with Annie, I love getting the company to go down to the beach, go to the Inversnecky Cafe, have a walk and I always take them to Fittie because they come to Aberdeen with no real idea what it is.
“They’re always surprised and amazed at how beautiful it is.”
Elaine C Smith playing the ‘terrifying’ Childcatcher
The film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a favourite for many but a lot of people have admitted to Elaine that the Childcatcher “terrified” them as a child.
While Elaine is a big fan of playing the baddie – as displayed in Annie as Miss Hannigan – she plans to bring her own creative spin to the role.
“I think changing it up makes it more creative but the Childcatcher is a really scary character with the outfit and the way it was done in the film.
“Loads of kids talked about how they were behind the sofa watching it.
“I think I’ll have to go down that route and try to bring a wee bit of humour in there as well to the evilness.”
One win for the performer is the tea breaks in between scaring the crowds.
Unlike Miss Hannigan when she almost did not leave the stage and the rest of the cast for Chitty like Adam Garcia, Elaine added: “You come in just to be the baddie and frighten people and be horrible.
“[In between] you get to sit in your dressing room with a cup of tea.”
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is gracing His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen from Tuesday June 11 to Saturday June 15 and Eden Court in Inverness from September 10 to 15.
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