Steven McNicoll is a Scottish actor, director, playwright and television presenter. He co-wrote and starred in seven series of the BBC sketch show ''

Velvet Soup ''Velvet Soup'' was a Scottish comedy sketch show, starring Gavin Mitchell, Steven McNicoll, Julia Duncanson and Mark McDonnell. Background It started as a radio series for BBC Radio Scotland called ''Velvet Cabaret'', named after a nightclu ...

'' on radio and later television, which earned him a BAFTA nomination. He is also known to viewers for playing the young

Rab C Nesbitt ''Rab C. Nesbitt'' is a Scottish comedy series which began in 1988. Produced by BBC Scotland, it stars Gregor Fisher as an alcoholic Glaswegian who seeks unemployment as a lifestyle choice. Rab C. Nesbitt was originally a recurring character i ...

in the series of the same name which stars

Gregor Fisher Gregor Fisher (born 22 December 1953) is a Scottish comedian and actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the comedy series ''Rab C. Nesbitt'', a role he has played since the show's first episode in 1988. He has also ...

. He also appears regularly as Bra's Jeff in Donald McLeary and

Sanjeev Kohli Sanjeev Singh Kohli (born 30 November 1971) is a British actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as shopkeeper Navid Harrid in the BBC sitcom ''Still Game'' (2002–2007, 2016–2019), Ramesh Majhu in the radio sitcom ''Fags, ...

Sony Award The Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, were the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For most of their existence, they were run by ZAFER Associates, but in latter years were brought under the control of The Radio Academy ...

winning

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

sitcom ''

Fags, Mags and Bags ''Fags, Mags and Bags'' is a Scottish radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Its first series was nominated for a Sony Radio Award. The writers, Sanjeev Kohli and Donald McLeary, received a Writers Guild Award in November 2008 for Radio ...

''. Mcnicoll has also presented 4 series of the educational programme ''Around Scotland'' for the BBC. McNicoll has co written several plays for stage and radio. In 2001, his play for

, ''There Are Such Things'', about the life and career of horror movie legend,

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

, won the Hamilton Deane Award for best dramatic presentation from the

Dracula Society The Dracula Society is a London-based literature and travel group with an interest in supernatural and macabre works of fiction, as exemplified by Bram Stoker's ''Dracula''. The Society The society was founded in October 1973 by two actors, Berna ...

. Prior to that, in 1997, as writer and actor, McNicoll was a recipient of The Herald Angel Award for his stage play ''Empty Jesters''. In 2005, Scottish cultural magazine '' The List'' nominated him at number 69 in their Hot 100 List which celebrated those who had made the biggest cultural impact in Scotland that year. In 2007, he starred as Sammy Fox in the critically acclaimed BBC TV comedy series ''

Legit ''Legit'' is a slang abbreviation of '' legitimate''. It may also refer to: * Legit (professional wrestling) * ''Legit'' (2006 TV series), Scottish sitcom * ''Legit'' (2013 TV series), created by comedian Jim Jefferies * Legit Ballin', a record ...

'', which was nominated for a

Rose D'or The Rose d'Or ('Golden Rose') is an international awards festival in entertainment broadcasting and programming. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) first acquired the Rose d’Or in 1961, when it was created by Swiss Television in the lakesi ...

. On stage, McNicoll has appeared in a huge variety of roles. In 2003 he received the Leon Sinden Award for best supporting actor in Tony Roper's classic comedy/drama ''

The Steamie ''The Steamie'' is a comedy-drama stage play, written by Tony Roper. It is set on Hogmanay 1950 and provides a window on the lives and aspirations of a group of Glasgow women washing their clothes in a public washhouse (steamie). It was commis ...

''. In 2005, he received plaudits for his portrayal of

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

opposite Barnaby Power in the Tom McGrath play ''

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

'', which was first performed at the

Royal Lyceum Theatre The Royal Lyceum Theatre is a 658-seat theatre in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, named after the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House, the residence at the time of legendary Shakespearean actor Henry Irving. It was built in 1883 by a ...

Edinburgh and later transferred to the Olympia Theatre Dublin. The same year he was nominated for best supporting actor at the

Theatrical Management Association UK Theatre (formerly the Theatrical Management Association) was founded in 1894 as the Theatrical Managers Association, with Sir Henry Irving as its first president. There are however records of the activity of a Theatrical Managers Association g ...

awards for his portrayal of Cliff, opposite

David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show '' Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...

as Jimmy Porter in ''

Look Back in Anger ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...

'' which premiered at the

and then transferred to the

Theatre Royal, Bath The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audien ...

. In 2009, McNicoll starred along with Gordon Kennedy

Colin McCredie Colin McCredie (born 8 June 1972 in Dumbarton, Scotland) is a Scottish actor, best known for his role as DC Stuart Fraser in the STV drama ''Taggart'', Nick Morrison in the BBC Scotland Soap Opera ''River City'' and in the films '' Shallow Gr ...

and

Sara Crowe Sara Crowe is a Scottish film and stage actress who mainly plays comedy roles. Biography Career After beginning her career on stage and in television, Crowe began to take film roles, including a part in ''Carry On Columbus'' and as the 'first ...

Tim Firth Tim Firth (born 13 October 1964) is an English dramatist, screenwriter and songwriter. Life and career Firth was born in Frodsham, England. He spent much of his time at school writing songs and it was only a few weeks before going to Cambrid ...

's comedy musical ''The Corstorphine Road Nativity'' at The Festival Theatre. In November 2010, McNicoll's play ''The House'' was premiered at Oran Mor in Glasgow. In 2011, he played

Toby Belch Sir Toby Belch is a character in William Shakespeare’s ''Twelfth Night''. He is Olivia's uncle. Character Sir Toby is an ambiguous mix of high spirits and low cunning. He first appears in the play's third scene, when he storms onto the stage ...

in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' and in 2012, David O Selznick in '' Moonlight and Magnolias'' in two hugely successful productions directed by Rachel O'Riordan in her debut season at Perth Theatre. Later that same year he was a recipient of The Argos Angel award for his performances in Paddy Cunneen's ''Fleeto'' and ''Wee Andy'' at the Brighton Festival. McNicoll has also appeared regularly at the

Kings Theatre, Glasgow 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. T ...

in the annual Christmas pantomime. On radio, he has worked extensively for the BBC for over thirty years, starting as a child actor, then progressing to writing and acting in plays and series for Radio 3 and 4. In July 2012, he could be heard as Pa Joad opposite

Michelle Fairley Michelle Fairley (born 1964–1965) is an actress from Northern Ireland. She is best known for playing Catelyn Stark in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2013). She has since appeared in the USA Network series '' Suits'' (2013), the ...

in a three part Radio 4 Classic Serial adaptation of

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

's ''

The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize ...

''. And with Brian Cox in episodes of ''

McLevy ''McLevy'' is a British radio crime drama series, written by David Ashton, about the 19th century Edinburgh police detective James McLevy. Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as part of its '' Afternoon Drama'' slot, the drama stars Brian Cox and Siobha ...

''. In 2017, he played Biesenthal in '' Marathon Man'' with

Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in '' ...

for Radio 4. In April 2013 he co-starred With

Johnny Watson Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...

and

Gail Watson Gail may refer to: People * Gail (given name), list of notable people with the given name Surname * Jean-Baptiste Gail (1755–1829), French Hellenist scholar * Max Gail (born 1943), American actor * Sophie Gail (1775–1819), French singer ...

in Rob Drummond's play ''Quiz Show'' that launched The Traverse Theatre's Fiftieth Anniversary Season. McNicoll is familiar to younger audiences as the teacher Mr Mackie in the much loved BBC TV version of Katie Morag. And his numerous appearances in the hugely popular ''

Teacup Travels ''Teacup Travels'' is a British children's drama TV series. The show was created and produced by PlumFilms with support from Creative Scotland and first shown on CBeebies on 9 February 2015. The concept of the series is historical fiction for ...

''. Most recently he has starred as Bob in the BAFTA nominated CBeebies series ''

Molly and Mack ''Molly and Mack'' is a British children's television series that began airing on CBeebies in 2018. It ran for five seasons. The show airs on ABC Kids (Australia), ABC Kids in Australia. Premise The show centres around an 11-year-old girl name ...

''. The show ran for four successful series and a fifth series has just been commissioned to start filming in 2022. He has recently appeared as an interviewer as part of

Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender (born 16 February 1946) is an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in the BBC sitcom ''Dad's Army'', and is the last surviving major cast member of the series following the ...

's ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'' reminiscence show "Don't tell him Pike!" which played to full houses at the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

at the

Assembly Rooms In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th century Britain, 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done ...

. In 2016' he starred with Freddie Fox in the comedy horror short ''The Northleach Horror'' directed by David Cairns. He starred as Jean at the Royal Lyceum in Murat Daltaban's DOT theatre company's acclaimed production of Zinnie Harris' adaptation of Ionesco's ''

Rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

'' as part of the Edinburgh International Festival in 2017.

Selected stage appearances

Selected film and TV

Selected radio appearances

References

External links

*
Steven McNicoll on BFI
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNicoll, Steven Living people Scottish dramatists and playwrights Scottish male comedians Scottish male film actors Scottish male stage actors Scottish male radio actors Scottish male television actors Year of birth missing (living people)