Comedy (writing/performing)

Here are some words that I am pretending someone else has written…

Born and raised in Northern Ireland, and now living in Glasgow via a stint in Wales, Elaine is known for her deliciously dry humour and original take on everything from current affairs to colouring in.

A Scottish Variety Award nominee and Scottish Comedy Award winner, Elaine’s TV and radio work includes BBC Scotland’s Breaking the News and whatever combination of these you think is most impressive: Good Morning Scotland, A Funny Kind of Life and Death (they’re both BBC Radio Scotland) Radio 4 Extra Stands Up, BBC 2’s What Women Want, BBC NI’s The Blame Game. She has gigged across the UK, performing at the Big Tickle Comedy Festival in Derry, Merchant City Festival in Glasgow, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Glasgow International Comedy Festival; she made her international comedy debut at New York Comedy Festival in 2012. Elaine has written for and performed in various sketch groups including the Stockholm Syndrome and Alchemy. She has also been known to act and recently stared as Penny in BBC One Northern Ireland’s, RTS award wining, Soft Border Patrol.

Elaine is currently writing, among other things, a new solo show and another short play. Watch this space.

Quotes
“bone-dry and talented…exquisite material” Edinburgh Evening News

“full of comedy life” Skinny

“a downbeat delight” List

“a terrific and unique stage persona” Broadway Baby

” a great writer of both drama and comedy” Skinny

TV/Radio

• Hardeep at The Stand (BBC Radio Scotland, 2012)
• What Women Want (BBC 2, 2014)
• Radio 4 Extra Stands Up (BBC Radio 4 Extra, 2015)
• Live at the Sunflower (BBC Radio Ulster, 2015)
• A Funny Kind of Life and Death (BBC Radio Scotland, 2015)
• Breaking the News (BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Scotland, 2016-23)
• The Shane Todd Show (BBC Radio Ulster, 2016)
• Good Morning Scotland (BBC Radio Scotland, 2016/17)
• Timeline – Presenter (BBC 2, 2017)
• The Blame Game (BBC One NI, 2018)
• Fred at The Stand (BBC Radio 4, 2019/2021)
• The Comedy Underground (BBC Scotland, 2019)
• Election 2019, Scotland Leaders Debate, Spin Room (BBC Scotland, 2019)
• The Good, The Bad and The Unexpected (BBC Radio Scotland, 2020)
• Socially Distant (BBC Scotland, 2020)
• Ayesha Hazarika Show – News Review (Times Radio, 2020/21)
• The Afternoon Show (BBC Scotland, 2021)
• Jimeoin Meets (BBC Radio Ulster, 2023)
• Sunday with Steven Rainey (BBC Radio Ulster, 2023)

Acting

• Soft Border Patrol – Penny (BBC One NI, S1-S3, 2018-2020) clips
• Saddled – Lindsey (BBC Radio Scotland, S1-S2, 2019/20)
• Scot Squad – Eliza (BBC Scotland, S6, S8, 2021/23)

Writing Credits

As a ghostwriter Elaine has contributed to shows including: Have I Got News For You; The News Quiz; The Last Leg; and, Question Time. She has also written and script edited on an award winning stand up show (2017) and written one of The Independent’s best jokes of the Fringe (2018).

• Newsjack, BBC Radio 7 and BBC Radio 4 Extra (various)
• Swots, BBC Radio Scotland (2010)
• The Gates, BBC Radio Scotland (2012)
• The Skinny, magazine and online (various 2009-2013)
• Standard Issue, online magazine (various 2014-2017)
• Timeline, BBC 2 (2017)
• Breaking the News, BBC Radio Scotland (various 2017-2023)
• The Now Show, Radio 4 (2018)
• Soft Border Patrol, BBC One NI (2019, 2020)
• Breaking the News, BBC Scotland (2019, 2023)
• Scot Squad (2021)
• Edinburgh Unlocked, BBC Scotland (2021)
• The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected, BBC Scotland (2022)
• Noising Up, BBC Radio Scotland (various 2023)
• Breaking the Year, BBC Scotland (2023)

Festival shows
All Kinds of Everything, Glasgow International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe, 2009. Co-writer and performer.

Electric Tales, Glasgow International Comedy Festival, 2010. Writer and performer.

Alchemy, Edinburgh Fringe, Co-writer and performer, 2011.

Relevant Experience, Glasgow International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe, 2012. Solo show, writer and performer.

Commissioned, Glasgow International Comedy Festival, 2013 – 2022. Creator and host.

Arrangements, Glasgow International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe, 2015. Solo show, writer and performer. Review here

Meet me at the Old Dead Whale Carcass, Glasgow International Comedy Festival, 2017, 2019. Solo show, writer and performer.

Salad Spinner, Glasgow International Comedy Festival, 2018. Solo show, writer and performer.

Other shows

Stockholm Syndrome, co-writer and performer, 2010-2012

Alchemy, co-writer and performer, 2011

Don’t Hang Up, writer, 2016/2017. Short play for Short Attention Span Theatre.

Tom Tom, writer, 2020. Monologue for Short Attention Span Theatre.

Directing

David Callaghan – Everything That’s Me is Falling Apart – Reykjavik Fringe Festival Award Winner 2023, Stockholm Fringe Festival Award Winner 2023.

Things

• Nivea Funny Women Awards, Finalist, 2008
• Scottish Variety Awards, Best New Comedian, Nominee, 2010
• Scottish Comedy Awards, Best Writer, Winner, 2019