WHEN Susan Boyle remarked in a Radio Times interview that a Scottish actress called Elaine C Smith would do a good job of playing her in a story of her life, she wasn’t far wrong.

Best known for playing Mary Doll from BBC’s Rab C Nesbitt, Elaine takes on the mantle of the iconic Scottish spinster, who leapt to sudden worldwide fame after a jaw-dropping performance on Britain’s Got Talent, and is completely convincing in the role.

The Susan Boyle Musical I Dreamed a Dream in itself offers few surprises.

Susan’s life was explored, exploited and splurged all over every paper in the country following her meteor-esque rise, and there’s not a great deal the audience won’t know already.

Narrated by Elaine in the guise of Susan, it charts her upbringing in a remote Scottish village, her schoolday bullying and her close relationship with her protective parents, as well as her grief at losing them.

It also charts her forays into singing at karaoke bars and talent contests, and, of course, her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent.

There’s strong singing from the whole cast, and some nifty dance routines.

The set – with a back wall of hundreds of TV screens – is very effective and used to great advantage to translate on stage action into media coverage, which is both fascinating and unsettling.

Elaine is the undoubted star of the show, playing Susan sensitively and with a great deal of empathy for her muse. And the audience were in for a treat when the curtain went down to standing ovations, only to go up again for a special appearance by Susan Boyle herself.

She gave renditions of a couple of numbers, including, of course, I Dreamed a Dream, which elicited a thrilled audience response.

The Susan Boyle Musical I Dreamed a Dream is at the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff, until tomorrow.

Call 01702 351135 for tickets