Anne Downie

Anne Downie is a Scottish actor and writer. Born in Glasgow of Scottish/Irish parentage she presently lives in the city with her husband, John. She has a son and a daughter. She has written and performed across a wide variety of media.

Acting career

Upon leaving drama college, her first professional stage role was playing opposite Andrew Keir in The Bigot. She has worked in many of the major Scottish theatres. Highlights from her career include; Six Black Candles (Royal Lyceum) - garnering the Critics Award for Best Ensemble, Tally’s Blood (Traverse), Just Frank (Traverse), Cant Pay Wont Pay (TAG), Marching On (7.84), Widows of Clyth (Dundee Rep), Judy (Perth Rep) and roles in pantomime with comedy legends Stanley Baxter and Jimmy Logan. She most recently appeared as Granny Morrison in Josie Rourke's critically acclaimed 2010/11 revival of Ena Lamont Stewart's Men Should Weep at the Royal National Theatre, London.

Television includes; Glasgow Kiss (BBC), Taggart (STV), You've Never Slept in Mine (BBC), And The Cow Jumped Over the Moon - Play for Today (BBC), High Road (STV), Parliamo Glasgow (C4), River City (BBC), Still Game (BBC), Gary Tank Commander (BBC), Feel The Force (BBC) and a comic stand-up performance on two series of Halfway to Paradise (C4).

Work for film include; 16 Years of Alcohol, Got Rot Tunbridge Wells (The Life of Handel), Dreams Lost Dreams Found, Solid Air, Pork Chop, Solstice, The Crews and Running in Traffic – Nominated for Michael Powell and Bafta awards, Edinburgh International Festival and Winner of the Apollo Prize (Norway International Festival).

Writing career

Her published works of fiction include the short stories; "Walter" (Polygon), "Deadly Sin" (Polygon and Argyle Press), "Cancel Mr Bloom", "Icing on the Cake", "The Weight Of Sorrow", "Write Your Name Small" (Herald) and "Do You do Teas?" (Edinburgh Review).

Her novel The Witches of Pollok was published by Capercaillie Books on October 6, 2010.

Non fiction includes; On Being an Actor (Chapman), China Diary (Herald) and On having Irish Roots (Argyle Press).

Her plays, many into third productions, have been produced by companies as diverse as Wildcat, The Tron, Theatre Workshop, Oran Mor, Cumbernauld, Perth, Communicado, The Byre, Borderline, Dundee Repertory Theatre and Dry Rain Theatre (Eire).

Plays include:

Television writing includes; "High Road" (STV), "River City" (BBC) and "The Bill" (Thames Television / ITV).

Radio writing includes; "Side Sea View" (BBC Radio 4), "Nothing But The Best" (BBC Radio 4), "Race" (series for BBC Radio Scotland), "Deceit" (adaptation of the novel by Claire Francis) (BBC Radio 4), "The Glitter of Mica" (adaptation of the novel by Jessie Kesson) (BBC Radio 4).

References