December 2018 - The Diary

Final days of rehearsal at Knightswood before we began our run of SLEEPING BEAUTY at Barmulloch Community Centre with two wonderfully noisy and excited audiences! It's a cracking show with all the classic panto favourites and John Binnie's script is brilliant as is Aileen Ritchie's direction. Great to be back at Barmulloch again for the 3rd year in a row kicking off Christmas touring shows & a huge thank you to the Staff and audiences there for a brilliant start!

Next up was The Lodging House Mission for a matinee and lovely to be back in my old manor! Great fun and brilliant audience again and lovely to have John Binnie and Bill Wright in the crowd for this very special show. Am revelling in the role of The Dame and appeared on Christina Littleson's radio show on Pulse 98.4FM for a chat and an unexpected appearance from 'Dame Nellie!' Then off to the

Drumchapel Community Centre for a wild gig with a fab vocal audience and then to Pennilee and Knightswood Community Centres for 4 wonderful shows with superb audiences and the show went down an absolute storm with kids and parents alike. Delighted to catch up with my niece & nephew after the matinee in Knightswood and they were very proud of 'Auntie Sie' as they wrote on a card!

Also this month we announced the upcoming tour of our THE BENNY LYNCH STORY tour of Scotland for May & June 2019 with nationwide coverage in the Press. Huge thanks to George Mair and Simon Houston for helping ensure blanket coverage and delighted with the response so far. All ticket details are now available on our new website https://www.thebennylynchstory.co.uk/ And huge thanks to Writer Davie Carswell for the photo here and handling the entire production whilst I am on tour, and for Stephen Purdon to take time out from his own busy panto run to appear in the shoot.

More self-tapes and press interviews squeezed in to this week before donning 'Nellie' again and heading to our next raft of shows, kicking off again at Ruchill, followed by Barrowfield Community Centres and again the audiences were simply brilliant & thoroughly enjoyed every second of them.

Time to squeeze in some more press appearances, this time in character as 'Nellie Nae Dosh' for Glasgow Lives with Elaine Livingstone, who took this wonderful photo below! Read it here: https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-lives-nellie-nae-dosh-15544284

Then to the Geoff Shaw Centre in Toryglen, followed by another great crowd at the Bellcraig Community Centre before heading back to Barmulloch for another two sold-out shows. Garnered more press for our The Benny Lynch Story tour and appeared on Rocksport Radio to chat about the ongoing Cathkin Park restoration work. Recorded a great, fun interview with TheFootyBlog lads

at Cathkin before heading to Media Co-op for an enjoyable voice-over for The Scottish Recovery Network. More self-tapes for some great screen projects this month, before heading back to 'pantoland' and two more shows at Barlanark Community Centre. Again brilliant audiences here

and at the four shows at Pollock Community Centre, followed by a welcome return to Castlemilk for our final two-show day. Utterly exhausting but great fun and the shows went down really well in our last week of this fun tour. Managed to squeeze in another hysterically funny and entertaining night with our very own 'Hellfire Club' annual gathering in Glasgow with these bad boys below!

Then back to panto duties and we had our final show at 1pm on the 22nd of December at the lovely Shettleston Community Centre once again and it was sadly time to say goodbye to 'Nellie Nae-Dosh' and to all of our wonderful cast and crew. I have absolutely loved playing my first ever 'Dame' role 

and it has been a superb tour and been a joy to have been a part of it all. However within two hours of walking off the stage for the last time I was hit with an awful Flu that lasted throughout Christmas! It has been another rollercoaster of a year work-wise but thoroughly enjoyed it all and hoping lots of hard graft this year pays dividends in 2019 with the release of more of my work on screen. So a huge

thanks to everyone I worked with in 2018 and to my agent Luc Chaudhary at IAM. Lots more to look forward to already in 2019, which promises to be another year of Film, Fitba & much laughter ahead.

November 2018 - The Diary

Kicked off November with an appearance on CELTIC AM, presented by Andrew Milne at Malones Bar in Glasgow alongside Celtic's Bobby Petta and Wembley legend Jim McCallion chatting about my career and the ongoing Cathkin Park restoration. Photo below courtesy of Andy Milne.

Then back to COLOPLAST UK roleplay work in Manchester and a welcome return to the fabulous Malmaison Hotel with the usual crew. Back to Glasgow for more auditions and a screening of Paul Darroch's WW1 trailer ONE NIGHT IN FLANDERS with the Cast and Crew.

Thanks to Ray Crofter for the photo below.  The film was released on the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 on the 11th November 2018. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlkfGin13PM&t=6s&fbclid=IwAR1_-ESUvi9UKf0y4xp_MPuV6NBEFEbYCwp2VBQ1UWpuQ7KnpH9snv52Cn4

Delighted to see ARMCHAIR DETECTIVES pick up a Scottish Bafta for 'Best Entertainment Show' this month. I really enjoyed playing the nasty, murderous Rev Reese on the only episode that remained unsolved by the panel nor the audience, so a huge well done to everyone at Tiger Aspect.

Back down to London for more meetings in another mad month of travel but hopefully it will all pay off! Yet more castings and finally into rehearsals for Glasgow Arts new pantomime, written by John Binnie and directed by Aileen Ritchie with a brilliant cast and my first tentative steps as The Dame!

I am playing Nurse Nellie Nae Dosh in our touring production of SLEEPING BEAUTY and coming to lots of community venues in December. I will post the dates at the beginning of next month and hope to catch some of you lot at the gigs!

Photos here are courtesy of Glasgow Arts of our lovely cast & creative team at our rehearsal rooms at Knightswood Community Centre and great to be back working in my old stomping ground once again!

Am constantly amazed by how much can be done in just two weeks to get a full pantomime up and running and impressed by my cast-mates talent & energy in bashing it into shape under our Aileen Ritchie's fab direction. Hard, hard work but beginning to pay of...Hopefully!

Also this month we got round the table to have a read of a new play I am producing later in 2019 with a stellar cast and Director. More details on that to come in the New Year. Then it was off to Pulse FM in Barrhead to record Radio Series MADE IN THE YOOKAY directed by Julie Dunn with a great

cast and more episodes to record later in 2019. Then it was back to pirate duties for the final CAPTAIN MORGAN live gigs in Kirkintilloch at Bar Bliss and Club Bliss followed by a mini tour of Glasgow City Centre! Huge thanks to the team and all at RPM for a 4th year of playing the

famous old Captain Morgan and to all the venues we played in Scotland & England once again in 2018. Hopefully we will be back in early 2019 for more high seas jinks! Thanks to Bar Bliss for

the photographs above. Great fun and a great crowd and a suitably wild end to an incredibly busy month. Now...it's panto time!

Sleeping Beauty Tour Dates Announced!

Delighted to be a part of Glasgow Arts Sleeping Beauty, which is touring to these venues:

Tue 4 Dec, 1.30pm & 6.30pm *EVENING SHOW SOLD OUT*
Barmulloch Community Centre
46 Walllacewell Quadrant G21 3PX | 0141 276 0875

Wed 5 Dec, 1pm
Lodging House Mission
35 East Campbell Street G1 5DT | 0141 552 0285

Thu 6 Dec, 6.30pm *SOLD OUT*
Drumchapel Community Centre
320 Kinfauns Drive G15 7HA | 0141 276 0560

Fri 7 Dec, 1pm & 7pm
Penilee Community Centre
10 Gleddoch Road G52 4BD | 0141 882 3309

Sat 8 Dec, 2.30pm & 6.30pm
Knightswood Community Centre
201 Alderman Road G13 3DD | 0141 959 9419

Tue 11 Dec, 1.30pm & 6.30pm
Ruchill Community Centre,
671 Bilsland Drive G20 9NF | 0141 946 8161

Wed 12 Dec, 1.30pm & 6pm
Barrowfield Community Centre
67 Yate Street G31 4AQ | 0141 550 5657

Thu 13 Dec, 6pm
Geoff Shaw Community Centre
25 Kerrylamont Avenue G42 0DN | 0141 647 0969

Fri 14 Dec, 6.30pm
Bellcraig Community Centre
10 Gorstan Street G23 5QA | 0141 945 2710

Sat 15 Dec, 1.30pm & 6.30pm
Barmulloch Community Centre
46 Wallacewell Quadrant G21 3PX | 0141 276 0875

Tue 18 Dec, 1.30pm & 6.30pm
Barlanark Community Centre
33 Burnmouth Road G33 4RZ | 0141 773 1812

Wed 19 Dec, 7pm
Possilpoint Community Centre
130 Denmark Street G22 5LQ | 0141 336 4057

Thu 20 Dec, 2pm & 7pm
Pollok Community Centre
134 Langton Road G53 5DP | 0141 882 5869

Fri 21 Dec, 1pm & 7pm
Castlemilk Community Centre
121 Castlemilk Drive G45 9UG | 0141 634 2233

Saturday 22 Dec, 1pm
Shettleston Community Centre
54 Amulree Street G32 7UT | 0141 764 1165

Under New Management

Delighted to say I am now represented by the fabulous Luc Chaudhary at International Artists Management. All enquiries please go to : info@internationalartistsmanagement.co.uk

Check out their website here https://internationalartistsmanagement.co.uk/ Really looking forward to the next chapter in this roller coaster of a career! Onwards!!

October 2018 - The Diary

Another month of auditions and self-tapes for upcoming screen projects and more dates pencilled-in for the 2019 diary. Met up with Into Creative at an iconic film venue in Glasgow to discuss an upcoming project, more of which in upcoming months!

Then into more production work with Cathkin Park Ltd and more restoration of the old ground in between castings and travel, but slowly the old ground is coming back to life and beginning to look like a proper football stadium again!

You can check out all the latest on the ground on our Twitter page @CathkinPark and pop along for a visit if you're nearby. Delighted to be invited along to the launch of Neal Heard's football shirts exhibition at The Arches in Glasgow, pictured below, followed by another short film appearance

in SNOOKERED for the 48 Hour Film Challenge in Glasgow, once again playing the mercurial Tammy Ness. This is my 8th year in this Festival and my 4th in a row with the Dropshack Film team, directed by Jack Willison. Fab location again this year at Reardon's Snooker Hall in Shawlands and

shoot with co-star Jessica Innes. Love working with these guys and thanks to Sean Campbell for the image above. The film screened at the GFT on the following Tuesday to a favourable reaction. Director Jack Willison has uploaded the film to YouTube and please give it a wee swatch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agTTrU9rzRg&feature=youtu.be

Delighted also to turn out once again for the Celtic XI in the Fitba Greats match v Rangers at Fullerton Park, home of Vale Of Clyde FC, however my performance was abysmal and we went down to a heavy 7-3 defeat! But another incredible experience, a lovely crowd and great banter and

despite giving away another 4 goals I had a whale of a time! More auditions and self-tapes this month and thrilled to be invited along to the launch of The Glasgow Echo at SWG3 with special guests Frank McGarvey & Brian McClair of Celtic, Chris McQueer and Kevin Graham and live music from Edgar Summertyme Jones. Thanks to Danny Hutton of Fitba Greats for the photo below.

Great to see a couple of last year's films doing well and picking up awards on the Festival circuit, including REGRETS and SUPER NOVEMBER which is touring around Scotland and Ireland this month and next. I have mean little cameos in each film and loved working on them with old pals

and great crews and directors and really pleased to see both doing well. News also that Simon Baker's 90 MINUTES will now be released in March 2018 having secured a cinema release and great fun catching up with my co-star Vauxhall Jermaine at the Coach & Horses in Soho this month. More

auditions this month at Shepperton Studios, as well as several self-tapes for indie films in 2019. And there was just time to squeeze in another football match for the Scotland Writers FC this October,

against Glasgow Titans FC at Tollcross Park. Changed in a gym hall, dog shit on the park, frost & mud and no showers after the game and loved every minute of it...proper #OldSkoolFitba and a fine 4-1 victory to seal an excellent month! Photo below courtesy of Karen Buckland.

And finally, delighted to report that our short film SNOOKERED won Best Film, Best Editing & Cinematography at the 48 Hour Film Awards and now heads to Filmapalooza in Florida in 2019. Huge congratulations to the Dropshack team and director Jack Willison on a sensational result!

September 2018 - The Diary

A thankfully busy old month and after a run of 14 unsuccessful auditions, finally landed a few good roles! Began another RPM contract touring as the mercurial CAPTAIN MORGAN around Scotland and the North Of England before heading back to Glasgow's Pollock Park to shoot a trailer Short Film for Paul Darroch's excellent ONE NIGHT IN FLANDERS.

Thanks to the brilliant Matthew Crawford Russell for the photos and excellent uniforms! I play Captain Higgins in this future web-series and the trailer will be released in November. A superb shoot with a great cast and fab crew and nice to work with Paul again after 8 years! Then out that evening 

for more raucous laughter with Irvine Welsh and John White, who kindly presented me with my props from T2 TRAINSPOTTING !! Thanks to the staff of Sarti's in Glasgow for another wonderful night in celebration of the big fella's upcoming birthday! Much Montepulciano  had been inbibed

by the time this shot (above) was taken! Then off to the lovely Melia White House, London for another excellent COLOPLAST UK Roleplay gig with the usual gang and straight back to Glasgow for more meetings and more work booked for 2019. Then it was back into pirate mode and gigs in

York and Carlisle with CAPTAIN MORGAN. Great fun once again and great to be back out on the road doing live Club events with a new team this year. Thanks to Popworld, York for these photos!

And still time to cram in another short film appearance, playing Gabe in David Carswell's excellent debut film HATCHES,MATCHES AND DISPATCHES in Greenock with a great cast and crew, including Chris McQueer, Graham Campbell and Sarah McCardie, shot by Andy Samuel and Alan

Cromar of Tall Tale Films. 6th film I've done this year and slowly racking up the credits and screen time again and have high hopes the work done this year will find an audience via the various film festivals in 2019.

August 2018 - The Diary

Another month of auditioning without success! But at least I am getting seen for some good projects and such is an actor's life. Again up and down to London and the joys of the Megabus, but hopefully set up a couple of jobs for later in the year, so well worth the effort and expense.

 Delighted to once again play in the Old Firm Greats match at Hurlford United's fine ground and yet another brilliant game and homoured to share the pitch with players such as Didier Agathe, Bobby Petta, Mark Wilson and be managed by Lisbon Lion Jim Craig and Frank McGarvey once again.

We took a hammering from a good Rangers team this time, losing 11-5, with me personally responsible for at least 3 of them! And I gave away another penalty! But a fantastic day and huge thanks to Bernie and all the great people at Hurlford United and the great crowd who turned

out to watch. My third game now and if only my talent matched my ambition! But loved every second of it and can't wait for the next one. And again several charities benefitted from the game and there was another Food Bank donation stall as well and these matches are the closest thing any of

us will ever get to experiencing a Celtic V Rangers match and the games are getting bigger and bigger every time. Thanks to Margaret Murray and Alan Watt for the photos on this page. Next up was a fab screening of Indie Feature CLEEK at The Blueprint Festival in Maryhill and a Q&A after the screening and nice to catch up with the cast and crew again.The film now has a US distributor

and heading to more festivals in America. Landed 2 short film roles this month, both shooting in September and will be returning to web-series COPS & MONSTERS in December's episode.

July 2018 - The Diary

Up and down to London several times this month for auditions without landing anything! Had a couple of straight offers for Feature Films but all three are for projects in the far distance as funding not yet realized so nothing on the immediate horizon. But all really exciting films and more to come on that in upcoming months.

Back to London for another COLOPLAST UK live event at the Radisson Blu in Bloomsbury and hopefully lots more booked in for 2019 now. And a great fun night with Irvine Welsh and Phil Vasili
in Kentish Town.

Back to Glasgow and cracked on with the renovation of the old terracing at Cathkin Park, followed by a few more meetings with potential partners for a new theatre tour we are producing in 2019. Great fun teaming up with Coronation Street baddie Connor McIntyre at The People's Palace as

well this month as we promoted the launch of the Benny Lynch Exhibition and Statue For Benny Fund.The picture below includes Benny's grand-daughter and Sammy Wilson's grandson! The exhibition will be open to the public for the next 2 years.

Photos courtesy of Billy Knox.

June 2018 - The Diary

June started brightly with another Old Firm Greats match at Irvine Meadow's fantastic ground and superb pitch with a thrilling and hard-fought Celtic victory, 6-4 over the Rangers side and hopefully I performed well enough to be invited back! Just a total joy and an honour to share the same pitch as

as these guys, players such as Andy McLaren, Alex Rae, Bobby Petta, Bob Malcolm, Charlie Miller, Simon Donnelly, Andy Goram, Rudi Vata, Marvin Andrews, Mark Burchill, Mark Wilson and to be managed by the legendary Frank McGarvey was a childhood dream come true! Delighted also to see

our Feature Film CLEEK will be opening the Jagran Film Festival across 18 cities in India this summer as well! It is also being screened in Glasgow at The Blueprint Festival on 24th August. Also released this month was EDINBURGH BLUE which you can view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeUvUAlmQfI&feature=youtu.be

Then back on the train to a sunny Birmingham for another excellent COLOPLAST UK live event at the Conference Centre and a lovely stay at The Holiday Inn. Here we are pictured with Henry Baukham adding the finishing touches to the brilliant stomach prosthetics! Photos c/o the lovely

Victoria John. Great fun once again and nice to be back in Birmingham for the first time since we toured KIDNAPPED there in 2014, including a great wee night at the brilliant Post Office Vaults. Back up the road to see Paul Chowdhry at Teviot Row in Edinburgh and great to meet the man after the show (below). Then it was back in the car and down to London for another screening of Simon

Baker's 90 MINUTES at the BFI as part of London On Film. Great to see the film again before it hits cinemas and was delighted to meet up with the band MOSES who perform the music in the film. Here I am with the lads below! Really hoping the film does well and should be released this year.

Next up was a day's research and development rehearsal for Henry Baukham's new play STROZZI at 55 East in the Elephant & Castle. Great wee arts venue and a fascinating day's work with a great cast and wonderful musicians and classical singers from FIORI.The music is simply beautiful and was 

a joy to be a part of. This is still in development but due to be performed in late 2019.Here's the cast

above at the end of a great day! For more info on this group please check out their website here https://fiericonsort.co.uk/  Long drive back to Glasgow again for some work at Cathkin Park, then back to London for another audition! Raced back for the launch of the Benny Lynch Exhibition

 at The People's Palace in Glasgow Green and an honour to meet up with Sammy Wilson's son and grandson (above) and the Statue For Benny Team. Delighted to meet former World Lightweight Champion Jim Watt, MBE (below) along with writer Davie Carswell. Finished off June with a

trip to ArtiSan Toi to meet up with Gary Ralston and the Benny Lynch Statue Group for another fun day in the glorious Barras Market to promote the campaign (pictured below) and huge thanks to all involved for making me feel so welcome. A fantastic cause and halfway towards our target already!

So, another mental month of travel, gigs and auditions and shaping up to be another lively summer!