INDEPENDENT WUMMIN independence. ‘I like Alex Salmond and I
‘I’m aware of how political groups can view you as useful. That’s why I’ve never joined a party, why I won’t stand for election’
support many of the policies that the SNP has implemented, but I’m a republican socialist,’ she says. ‘I don’t want a royal family. But that’s for us to fi ght about later on. ‘I’m very aware of how you can be viewed by
political groups as “useful”. It’s why I’ve never joined a party, why I won’t stand for election. I’ve been asked to stand on several occasions. I’ve just laughed and said, “Don’t be ridiculous. I couldn’t take the pay cut”.’ (A conversation with Elaine C Smith very often turns into a one-to-one stand-up performance.) In telling Susan Boyle’s story, she has found
a way of bringing social issues to an audience who have not usually booked a babysitter so that they can sit through an evening of republican socialist entertainment. Initially signed up as the star of the show, she ended up co-writing the script with her old panto comrade Alan McHugh. ‘I felt very responsible,’ she recalls. ‘We had
something precious in our hands and my job was to ensure the story was told in as accurate a way as possible. I didn’t want a sugary-sweet version of Susan Boyle’s life. Her autobiography discusses her learning diffi culties and what it felt like being bullied at school, and it seemed appropriate to put all that in.’ Elaine acknowledges that this is not the
story everyone wants to hear – in fact, she does not rule out a different version for the American market. ‘They want to believe the dream came true and that
life is always happy ever
after,’ she says. ‘We all know that when it comes to dreams, bits of them can come true but
of grit.
it’s not all full of fairy dust.’ Her job, she says, was to make sure the glitter contained plenty ‘Susan has
fear of performing, her nerves – that seemed appropriate to use as well.’ Egged on by her sisters
(when she was
wavering about taking the job, they persuaded her by pointing out what a great human-interest story it is) Elaine set about getting under Susan’s skin. She had not only read her auto biography, she had read it aloud for the audiobook. It left her with as many questions as answers: How did she go from singing two songs in the Happy Valley karaoke to appearing in front of millions on television? Why did she wait until she was 47 to let the world hear her voice? ‘I wanted the back story,’ says Elaine. ‘She’s
younger than me – why had she never had her hair tinted? That became the desire to tell that story. We had to look at the things that affected Susan. The death of her father was huge, and so was being bullied at school. She was really glad we put that in. She felt that we reached out to other people.’ For Elaine, who has long felt cold-shouldered
by the Scottish cultural elite, the most important thing was not to judge. ‘I sang in the same clubs as Susan. My life took a different turn – going to RSAMD, becoming a teacher – but I learned the most from singing in those Blues Brothers clubs. These are actually my family. I don’t want to make them look like the shabbiest place on earth.’ Today the Happy Valley is a distant memory
for both. After they fi rst met, Susan put her arms round Elaine and said, ‘I’d be honoured if you played me.’ Now they are great chums, appearing together at football matches, going to each other’s birthday parties. Elaine tells Susan dirty jokes. Next stop, the hairdresser.
talked about her
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