Elaine C Smith persuades Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle to appear in musical
Feb 19 2012 By Nick Owens
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TODAY we can reveal the special guest star in the stage show charting Susan Boyle’s astonishing rise to fame…SuBo herself.
The singing sensation has agreed to make a cameo appearance at the end of I Dreamed A Dream, which stars Elaine C. Smith as the singing superstar.
SuBo and Elaine – best known for playing Mary Doll, the wife of TV’s Rab C. Nesbitt – have struck up a real rapport while putting together the musical.
Elaine said: “Susan has become a great pal and I’d do anything for her.
“We are similar in many ways – two Scottish lasses from mining villages who were supposed to get married, have kids and be quiet.
“But Susan and I didn’t quite turn out like that. I’m so honoured to be able to tell the story of her amazing life.”
Susan added: “I am thrilled to be part of the musical and I’m looking forward to stepping on stage.
“It is an honest portrayal of my life and has been a cathartic process to be involved in.”
Elaine was first linked with the SuBo role 18 months ago when the Britain’s Got Talent star revealed Elaine was her favourite actress.
Months later, when Susan was stranded in the US, Elaine was asked to provide the voice for an audio-version of the singer’s autobiography.
She said: “It meant I read Susan’s life story before anyone else. It was so inspirational and I kept thinking this would make such a great play.”
Elaine approached long-time friend and theatre producer Michael Harrison with the idea. They then made an official approach to Susan’s management team to make the show.
Elaine said: “I thought Simon Cowell would say no but the response was very positive.
“Susan gave the idea her blessing and asked me to give her a ring. I phoned and said, ‘I am going to pop round for a cup of tea if that’s OK.’
“She replied, ‘That would be lovely but I’ve got two houses.’
“I immediately cut in telling her to stop bragging and she laughed. From that moment we became friends.
“Susan even jokes that she looks like Mary Doll when she’s at home with her pinny on doing the cooking or cleaning.”
The pair have become such good friends, Elaine has even invited Susan’s relatives round to her house for tea.
She attended Susan’s 50th birthday party last year and the shy superstar even agreed to a guest appearance in Rab C. Nesbitt last December. Elaine, Susan and a team of writers have spent the past six months putting the musical together.
It will look at Susan’s early life in Blackburn, West Lothian, and what has happened to her since she became famous.
The warts-and-all account will include poignant sections on childhood bullying, the deaths of her parents and Susan’s failure to find love.
Elaine said: “We are aiming for a Billy Elliot-style story which tells the rags-to-riches tale of Susan’s life.
“When I first read the script to Susan, she got upset but then she said, ‘You’ve made me cry…but you’ve made me smile more’.”
Susan’s fragile mental health saw her being admitted to the Priory Clinic after the BGT final in 2009.
But with just weeks until the curtain raises on the SuBo musical, Elaine has no concerns about her co-star’s ability to cope.
She said: “Susan’s not nervous. I have joked to her that she’ll need to get me out of the toilet on the first night.
“I was a singer before I was anything else but I will not be trying to impersonate her. There’s only one Susan and there’s no point trying to take her voice on.”
The musical will be the first time that Susan has embarked on a gruelling nationwide tour.
Her management team hope it will pave the way for her to appear in a money-spinning worldwide concert tour.
Elaine says: “It is about trying to get Susan ready for the next stage in her career.
“There’s a big part of Susan’s story still to be told.”
But does Elaine think she’ll land the role of Susan in any Hollywood remake?
Not really. She laughed: “They’ll probably stick Michelle Pfeiffer in a fat-suit and she’ll win an Oscar.”
