Fame, Family, Autism
The Scots Magazine|November 2024
After spending her childhood looking after her parents, Scots actor and comic Ashley Storrie is now enjoying her own moment in the spotlight
STEPHEN GALLACHER
Fame, Family, Autism

WHILE filming her first lead role earlier this year in the sitcom Dinosaur, Ashley Storrie could easily have consulted the wealth of W experience around her on whether it was going well.

The show was produced by the brains behind Fleabag.

She had co-stars like veteran funny man Greg Hemphill, and of course she could always call her mum, stand-up comic Janey Godley.

Yet perhaps it was her own roots as a stage comic, and living in Glasgow's East End, which turned her attention instead to the reaction of the sparkies working on set.

"If you've ever been on a film or TV set, the electricians are the least interested in what's going on," she said. "They don't care. They just want to put up lights and bits of electrical cable with gaffer tape and talk about what's happening with the weans.

"As we were filming I was constantly looking out the side of my eye thinking, 'Are Joycie and Connor laughing?' If I got a smile out of them, then knew I was having a good day."

Dinosaur, which is available on BBC iPlayer, sees Ashley fronting a sitcom about love, friendship and being your own self.

It's about Nina, an autistic palaeontologist from Glasgow navigating her 30s, who loves a specific strand of Harry Potter fan fiction called My Immortal.

As it happens, Ashley, 37, has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), lives in Glasgow and is a fan of My Immortal. The role wasn't written for her but the fit is, she admits, uncanny. It almost seems like fate and, when I ask if she believes in that sort of thing, there's no hesitation.

"One hundred per cent," she says.

"I won't buy crystals but if I see a penny lying in the street I'll say to myself that it's a sign. I just have my own very weird signs and portents that I believe in."

This story is from the November 2024 edition of The Scots Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2024 edition of The Scots Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE SCOTS MAGAZINEView All
Unst To Orbit
The Scots Magazine

Unst To Orbit

Shetland's spaceport is set to take Europe by storm, launching rockets to the stratosphere

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Just Passing Through
The Scots Magazine

Just Passing Through

A tale of the unexpected unfolds at dawn in a Stirlingshire glen as a rare, shy creature slips out of the shadows

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
Brigadoon Revisited
The Scots Magazine

Brigadoon Revisited

An affectionate look back at the low budget \"synthetic Scotch\" movie that still sparkles in the mist, 70 years on

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
A Brand New Opening
The Scots Magazine

A Brand New Opening

The Scots Magazine revisits the Old Course in St Andrews almost 70 years on and celebrates recent progress in welcoming women

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Kenmore's Crossroads
The Scots Magazine

Kenmore's Crossroads

Fury over a luxury redevelopment at the Perthshire village made news headlines around the world but is the tide of popular opinion turning?

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2024
Seeing Double!
The Scots Magazine

Seeing Double!

Sam Heughan's Outlander body double, lain Wilkie, shares stories about his experiences on and off screen

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
The Story & The Song
The Scots Magazine

The Story & The Song

With a soundtrack to a Shetland tale, author and musician Malachy Tallack blends his artistic passions in his latest venture

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
A Rebirth From The Earth
The Scots Magazine

A Rebirth From The Earth

Erland Cooper's intriguing project has given nature and two determined fans a hand in shaping and bringing his new album to light

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Nip Of Champions
The Scots Magazine

Nip Of Champions

Whisky has long been associated with moments of triumph, including a recent example of clever sporting motivation

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
The Waterside Hotel
The Scots Magazine

The Waterside Hotel

A spectacular spot on the stunning Ayrshire coast

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024