Una McLean

Last updated

Una McLean
MBE
Born (1930-01-12) 12 January 1930 (age 94)
Strathaven, Scotland
Nationality Scottish
Education Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian
Spouse
(m. 1991;died 2004)

Una McLean MBE (born 12 January 1930) is a Scottish actress and comedian. She is best known for appearing in pantomimes. She was married to Scottish stage and film actor Russell Hunter from 1991 until his death in 2004.

Contents

McLean trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and began her career at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews in 1955. She joined the Citizens' Theatre in Glasgow in 1959. [1] From 1965 she starred in her own show for Scottish Television, Over to Una, and In 1967 she starred in Scotland's first one-woman television show, Did you see Una? [2] She has appeared in several films, including Peter Capaldi's Strictly Sinatra in 2001.

McLean has appeared in many pantomimes in Scotland, often starring opposite Jimmy Logan and with Stanley Baxter. She starred in Jack and the Beanstalk alongside Jimmy Logan in his last pantomime appearance at King's Theatre, Glasgow as Wondergran, a show that also featured Alyson McInnes, John Ramage, and Euan McIver.

In 2006, she was awarded the MBE. [1] She appeared in 2007 on television in the sitcom Still Game . [3] In 2009 she began playing the role of Molly O'Hara in the BBC One Scotland soap opera River City . In May 2019, she announced her retirement from the show. [1]

Theatre

YearTitleRoleCompanyTheatreDirectorNotes
1989 The Guid Sisters Germaine LauzonThe Tron Theatre Company Tron Theatre, Glasgow Michael Boyd play by Michel Tremblay, translated into Scots by Bill Findlay and Martin Bowman

Radio

DateTitleRoleDirectorStation
19 September 2005 The Sundowner Betty Lu Kemp BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
9 January 2008 Jimmy Murphy Makes Amends [4] Phyllis Kirsty Williams BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
8 September 2009 Meryl the Mounted [5] Bunty Lobe Kirsty Williams BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rikki Fulton</span> Scottish actor (1924–2004)

Robert Kerr "Rikki" Fulton, OBE was a Scottish comedian and actor best remembered for writing and performing in the long-running BBC Scotland sketch show, Scotch and Wry. He was also known for his appearances as one half of the double act, Francie and Josie, alongside Jack Milroy. Suffering from Alzheimer's disease in his later years, Fulton died in 2004, aged 79.

Stanley Livingstone Baxter is a Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows The Stanley Baxter Show, The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, The Stanley Baxter Series and Mr Majeika.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine C. Smith</span> Scottish actor/ singer/ performer.

Elaine Constance Smith is a Scottish actress, comedian, and political activist. She rose to prominence from appearing in the BBC Scotland sitcoms City Lights (1984–1991) and Rab C. Nesbitt (1988–2014). Smith has played the role of Christine O'Neil in the BBC Scotland sitcom Two Doors Down (2013–present).

Siobhan Redmond is a Scottish actress, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and known for various stage, audio and television roles such as Anne Marie in Two Doors Down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Dunbar</span> Scottish comedian and actress (born 1971)

Karen Dunbar is a Scottish comedian, actress and writer. She first appeared on television on the BBC Scotland sketch comedy series Chewin' the Fat (1999–2002) and was subsequently given her own show by the channel, The Karen Dunbar Show (2003–2006).

James Allan Short, OBE, FRSAMD, known professionally as Jimmy Logan, was a Scottish performer, theatrical producer, impresario and director.

Daniela Nardini is a Scottish actress who played Anna Forbes in the BBC Two television series This Life. The role earned her a BAFTA Best Actress award in 1998 and also earned her a Scottish BAFTA. She won a second Scottish BAFTA in 2009 for her role in Annie Griffin's New Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Wilson Nimmo</span> Scottish actress

Julie Wilson Nimmo is a Scottish actress. She is known for portraying the roles of Miss Hoolie in the BBC Children's series Balamory, Mrs Sawdust in CBeebies show Olga Da Polga and DC Megan Squire in the BBC Scottish comedy series Scot Squad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morag Hood</span> Actress

Morag Hood was a British actress who featured in numerous television programmes, stage productions, and audio presentations in the UK from the 1960s up to the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Beattie</span> Scottish actor and stand-up comedian (1926–2020)

John Gerard Beattie, MBE was a Scottish actor and stand-up comedian whose career spanned over six decades. He appeared on shows including the sketch show Scotch & Wry and the sitcom Rab C. Nesbitt, and later appeared in more dramatic roles including Malcolm Hamilton in the soap opera River City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllis Logan</span> Scottish actress (born 1956)

Phyllis Logan is a Scottish actress, widely known for her roles as Lady Jane Felsham in Lovejoy (1986–1993) and Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey (2010–2015). She won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for the 1983 film Another Time, Another Place. Her other film appearances include Secrets & Lies (1996), Shooting Fish (1997), Downton Abbey (2019) and Misbehaviour (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Theatre, Glasgow</span> Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland

The King's Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland. It was built for Howard & Wyndham Ltd under its chairman Baillie Michael Simons as a sister theatre of their Theatre Royal in the city and was designed by Frank Matcham, opening in 1904. The theatre is primarily a receiving house for touring musicals, dance, comedy and circus-type performances. The theatre also provides a prominent stage for local amateur productions. The King's Theatre also stages an annual pantomime, produced by First Family Entertainment. The theatre is currently operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group, under a lease from Glasgow City Council who own the building.

Jane McCarry is a Scottish actress, teacher and acting coach. She is best known for her roles as Isa Drennan in the BBC Scotland sitcom Still Game (2002–2019), and as Granny Murray in the children's show Me Too! (2006–2007). She trained as an actor at Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University School of Drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ella Logan</span> Scottish-American actress and singer

Ella Logan was a Scottish-American actress and singer who appeared on Broadway, recorded and had a nightclub career in the United States and internationally.

Juliet Cadzow is a Scottish film and television actress. She played Edie McCredie in the children's television series Balamory, Suzie Fraser in BBC series River City and various roles in BBC series Still Game.

Steven McNicoll is a Scottish actor, director, playwright and television presenter.

Barbara Rafferty, is a Scottish actress. She was credited as Barbara Ann Brown in her early acting career. She is known for her roles as Ella Cotter in the long-running BBC Two sitcom Rab C Nesbitt, then firstly as Shirley Henderson and currently as Bernie O'Hara in BBC Scotland soap opera River City. She playec Agnes Meldon in mystery series Hamish MacBeth and Grandma Mainland in the CBeebies comedy Katie Morag.

Anne Downie is a Scottish actress and writer. She was born in Glasgow of Scottish and Irish parentage. She has written and performed across a wide variety of media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Urquhart</span> Scottish actress (1906–1977)

Molly Sinclair Urquhart was a Scottish actress.

Wildcat Stage Productions was an influential left-wing theatre and music production company based in Glasgow. Founded in 1978 as a spin-off from the 7:84 Company, it formed a key part of the Scottish touring theatre network for the next 20 years, creating more than 80 shows and giving many thousands of performances across Scotland, the UK and internationally. The company was named after the term for unofficial industrial action, excluding the word “theatre” from its name to avoid middle-class or bourgeois associations.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "BBC - Una McLean retires her River City role as matriarch Molly O'Hara - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  2. "Una McLean, b. 1930. Actress and comedienne". National Galleries of Scotland. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  3. "Singer Michelle's a Still Game star!". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  4. BBC – Afternoon Play – Jimmy Murphy Makes Amends
  5. BBC – Afternoon Play – Meryl the Mounted