Leith actress ready to hit the heights of fame

GIVING an open air performance for an audience of Egyptian wedding guests, 13-year-old Sian Mannifield was having the time of her life.

The teenager lapped up the applause as she belly danced in the Cairo street with her mortified younger brother George, and when her dad Terry clamoured for a verse of Mull of Kintyre, the outgoing teenager was only too happy to oblige.

It was an early glimmer of talent from the bubbly actress about to hit our screens in the second series of STV's Scottish Bafta award-winning drama High Times.

The 39-year-old Leith resident laughs at the memory from the years her family spent in Egypt, where her dad was an engineer.

"The Egyptians must have been thinking 'What on earth?', but I thought it was brilliant," she says. "Growing up, my family thought I was such a show-off. I've always been into performing."

These days Sian has built a successful performing career, with appearances in comedy Still Game and theatre credits including Love's Fire at the Traverse in 2006 under her belt.

But she is most excited about her latest role, playing the character of Molly, the takeaway delivery woman in High Times.

Set in a high-rise block of flats, High Times is a streetwise and affectionate look at the ups and downs of characters on the fictional Fairmyle Estate.

The first series began airing again last Thursday, and will be immediately followed by the second series, starting on July 24, in which Sian makes her debut.

"Molly's really nice to play," she enthuses. "She delivers to Frank, who's a lovely big man who likes his food. He's a security guard who's been told to watch his weight because he's not very well, and he's a bit down. But when they set eyes on each other there's a real spark."

Sian was only meant to appear in one episode of the series, which was filmed three years ago.

But when she went to the casting, producers spotted her talent and quickly offered her a longer-running role.

Breaking into showbusiness hasn't been all plain sailing for Sian, who lives with her partner, fellow actress Wendy Seager, and has an 18-year-old son, Robbie.

After returning from Egypt to Livingston as a teenager, Sian left school at the age of 16 to become a hairdresser.

She had Robbie when she was 21, and although she'd always dreamed of performing, as a single parent the need for a stable income kept her tied to a more conventional job. It took the death from cancer of a close relative finally to give Sian the courage to pursue her dream in 2002.

"My aunt wasn't well and I decided to just go for it," she says. "I thought you shouldn't live to regret anything so I applied to Queen Margaret's. I was so happy to do it and met fantastic people."

One of the best friends Sian made during her BA in Drama was classmate Ashley Russell, who appeared on BBC One reality show I'd Do Anything.

"I was riveted by the programme and voted for Ashley every week," Sian says. "I've spoken to her since and she was having a meeting with Andrew Lloyd-Webber, so here's hoping she gets somewhere – she really deserves it."

Though Sian says she isn't tempted to appear on a reality show, she shares Ashley's singing ability and performs regularly with her band Divine Divas.

"We do Aretha Franklin and big diva numbers. It's great to be a big diva," she says.

As well as appearing with the band, Sian is a budding writer who has penned several plays and a mini-series which she hopes will one day make the small screen.

She is also a singing teacher for Stagecoach at Dancebase, teaching children from six to 16. "It keeps me creative and it's lovely to inspire little ones to be confident," she says. Though she went to drama school relatively late in life, Sian is sure her age was a plus on the course and in her acting.

"When you have a bit of age you have really experienced life and can relate to things. For me it's a definite advantage," she says.

Family and friends thought Sian was "a bit mad" going to drama school in her 30s and worried because acting was such a difficult profession to succeed in.

But with two hit shows on her CV and plenty of confidence, Sian's star is rising and she is passionate about encouraging others to follow their dream.

When she was a hairdresser she rose to become artistic director for Saks, doing models' hair at shows. "I was even on the stage then," she says, with a hearty laugh, "You just can't keep me off it."

AWARD WINNER
HIGH TIMES was created by acclaimed writer John Rooney and won a Scottish BAFTA in 2004, as well as a Celtic Film and Television Award for best drama.

The series was also short-listed for a Prix Italia award and a Rose D'Or in 2005. Series one began being shown again last Thursday and in series two, which starts on July 24, we rejoin the characters a year on. High Times, STV, Thursdays, 10.40pm.