Camelon teacher stars in new Amazon Prime comedy series Weegies

Former acting student Louise Smith first began filming scenes for Weegies four years ago when she was asked to take on the role of Sapphire following a stellar showcase performance at New College Lanarkshire.

The 25-year-old ex-St Mungo’s High pupil featured in all five episodes of the first season of the independent Scottish show, which is described as a cross between Still Game and Extras.

While Weegies premiered in front of 200 people at Glasgow venue Saint Luke’s in 2019, Louise revealed she was stunned – and thrilled – to discover the series has just been picked up by Prime.

Now a P3 teacher at Larbert Village Primary School, Louise laughed as she discussed a second career reversal.

She said: “If Hollywood got in touch, I might need to give up the teaching!

“To see it on Amazon Prime was so good. I found out about it on Sunday when the directors messaged saying it was out.

“I feel like acting and teaching go hand in hand because you’re putting on a performance as a teacher too.

“That’s my first TV show but I wouldn’t want to say it’ll be my last!

“I would never say never because, if it was popular, I think the directors would be more than happy to start writing another series.”

Weegies follows the lives of Steve and George, two hapless, aspiring actors struggling for their big break while navigating through modern life in Glasgow with their hopeless friends.

The show, consisting of five 25-minute episodes, celebrates what it is to be a young person living in Scotland but steers away from stereotypes as it aims to represent the multicultural, friendly and inclusive nature of the city.

Critical to co-writers Stephen Arthur and George Stewart were character, relationships and patter.

Such was the camaraderie on set, Louise insists she was at ease throughout the seven days she spent in front of the camera.

She said: “For my scenes, it was an intense week of filming but it was great.

“I knew most of the cast apart from George because they went to the same college and Dylan Blore (Berry) was in my year. We all got on well.

“The filming was mostly done in Glasgow in a flat. We had to go outside somewhere beside a river and it was bucketing! There was also a party scene filmed in a church.

“Sapphire’s very quirky, very friendly and an art student at college. I think it was Glasgow University she went to but she says, ‘No art student actually goes to art college!’

“I didn’t deliberately put on a Glasgow accent. It wasn’t like I was trying to but, because I was around people from there, I picked it up.”

The backing Louise has received from her nearest and dearest means a great deal to her.

She added: “My family and friends are my biggest supporters.

“They’ve been waiting for it to kick off – the teachers too!”

Weegies is now streaming exclusively for free on Prime Video.

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