Linda Smith (comedian)
Linda Smith | |
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Occupation | Comedian |
Years active | 1987–2006 |
Partner | Warren Lakin |
Linda Helen Smith (29 January 1958 – 27 February 2006) was an English comedian and comedy writer. She appeared regularly on
Life and career
Smith was born in
In 1987, she won the
Her first appearances on national radio were on Radio 5's The Treatment in 1997. She was subsequently a regular panellist on
On 17 November 2003, Smith appeared on the
From 2001 to 2004, Smith toured her full-length solo show 'Wrap Up Warm' to sold-out audiences at theatres and arts centres throughout Britain.[8] Her first professional appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe was in 1988 on a double bill at The Comedy Boom.[9] Between then and 1994, she performed solo shows and shared the stage at various fringe venues with comedy pals such as Henry Normal, Hattie Hayridge and Betty Spital.
Illness, death and legacy
On 27 February 2006 in
Three tribute gigs were held in her memory in 2006. The first took place on 14 May at the
Smith was working on a third series of A Brief History of Timewasting before she became incapacitated by her illness. As a tribute the online radio station
The University of Kent holds The Linda Smith Collection as the foundation of the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive. It includes notes, diaries, scripts, audio-visual recordings, photographs, press cuttings, correspondence and publicity material covering her entire life and career. It was deposited at the University of Kent by Smith's partner Warren Lakin in 2013.[17][18] Since 2015, the University of Kent has organised the annual Linda Smith Lecture, in which comedians and writers have spoken about issues in the comedy industry as well as recalling memories of Smith. To date, the speakers have been Mark Thomas (2015), Andy Hamilton (2016), Susan Calman (2017), Barry Cryer (2018), Jo Brand (2019), Robin Ince (2021), Angela Barnes (2022) and Jan Ravens (2023).[19] A video of Robin Ince's Linda Smith Lecture is available as a download from Go Faster Stripe.[20]
Between 2010 and 2014, a series of six tribute shows featuring prominent comedians and musicians called Loving Linda took place at the Rose Theatre, Kingston to raise money for Target Ovarian Cancer. Two further Loving Linda shows were staged at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh in August 2018 and the Cambridge Theatre, London in October 2018.
In 2019 Chortle published a list of 12 of Smith's best jokes to mark her birthday.[21]
Personal life
She met her partner Warren Lakin when Sheffield Popular Theatre was formed in 1983, and they were together for 23 years until her death.
Books
- Sit-Down Comedy (contributor to anthology, ed ISBN 978-0-09-188924-1
References
- ^ "Entertainment | Obituary: Linda Smith". BBC News. 28 February 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ Lakin, Warren, Driving Miss Smith: A Memoir of Linda Smith, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2007
- ^ "Peter Aterman voted New Act of the Year 2004". Funny.co.uk. 3 March 2004. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- British Humanist Association. Archived from the originalon 16 October 2006.
- ^ "Press Office – Linda Smith". BBC. 5 May 2002. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ Coward, Mat, Classic Radio Comedy, (2003), p. 79. Cox & Wyman.
- ^ "Room 101 - Episode 8.3. Linda Smith". British Comedy Guide. 17 November 2003. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "Linda Smith: Stand-up comedian, writer and radio personality with a radical conscience", The Times, 1 March 2006, p. 72
- ^ Hepple, Peter, "Freeing the Spirit", The Stage, 11 August 1988, p. 35
- ^ Lakin, Warren, Driving Miss Smith: A Memoir of Linda Smith, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2007, p.302
- ^ "Entertainment | Radio comedian Linda Smith dies". BBC News. 28 February 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ Hardy, Jeremy (28 February 2006). "Entertainment | 'Her mind was extraordinary'". BBC News. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Linda Smith: God, the biggest joke of all – Profiles – People". The Independent. London. 2 March 2006. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "An Evening of Linda Smith's Favourite Things". Funny.co.uk. 12 May 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ 'Last chance to grab tickets for tribute gig', Evening News (Edinburgh), 22 August 2006, p.7
- ^ 'Comedy - Preview - Linda Smith's Favourite Things Vol 2', Time Out, 17 October 2007, p.58
- ^ Flickr - The Linda Smith Collection
- ^ "Information Systems | 'Special Collections'". University of Kent. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Brotosh Stand-Up Comedy Srchive, University of Kent, https://archive.kent.ac.uk/TreeBrowse.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&field=RefNo&key=BSUCA%2fEvents%2f2
- ^ https://www.gofasterstripe.com/cgi-bin/w.cgi?showfull=48198
- ^ "Remembering Linda Smith". Chortle. 29 January 2019.
External links
- Linda Smith at IMDb
- A Brief History of Timewasting BBC Radio 4
- Anarchist with attitude (interview) by Laurie Taylor New Humanist, 6 September 2004
- Radio comedian Linda Smith dies BBC News, 28 February 2006
- Obituary: Linda Smith BBC News, 28 February 2006
- Jeremy Hardy pays tribute BBC News, 28 February 2006
- Obituary by Mark Steel The Independent, 1 March 2006
- Obituary by Jeremy Hardy, containing many biographical details The Guardian, 1 March 2006
- News Quiz colleagues pay tribute The Guardian, 2 March 2006
- Linda Smith: God, the biggest joke of all The Independent, 2 March 2006
- President of the British Humanist Association, 2004 – 2006 British Humanist Association
- The Linda Smith Collection University of Kent
Video
Audio
- Linda Smith explores Auvergne & Corsica BBC Radio 4, 12 April 2005
- The Limited Power of Satire/Linda's Rise from Obscurity BBC Radio 4, The News Quiz, 7 September 2005
- Linda Smith has her eye on the Chairman's seat BBC Radio 4, The News Quiz, 6 February 2006
- Interview with Jenny Colgan, containing tribute BBC Radio 4, Woman's Hour, 1 March 2006