Douglas Sannachan
Encyclopedia
Douglas Sannachan is a Scottish
actor most widely known for playing Billy the window cleaner
in Gregory's Girl
. His famous line was "If I don't see you through the week, I'll see you through a window". He grew up in the Calton
area of Glasgow and was a pupil at John Street Secondary School, Glasgow. When he was 16 years old he was the subject of a chapter of a book called The Year of the Child by Bel Mooney
.
Sannachan was a member of the Glasgow Youth Theatre and is a friend of John Gordon Sinclair
and Robert Buchanan
. He appeared in other films directed by Bill Forsyth
such as That Sinking Feeling
in which he played Simmy, and as well as playing Willy, was also the voice of the ice cream van, in Comfort and Joy
. He also played Gerry in Submarine Escape, Edward in the Cold War
drama Winter Flight and Tam in Living Apart Together.
On television, Douglas was in the children's programme Waiting for Elvis which was part of Dramarama (TV series)
written by Alex Norton
. The episode featured Fergie (played by Sannachan), a young singer, trying to impress Elvis Presley
during his short stop at Prestwick Airport in 1960 on his only confirmed visit to the UK. He played Billy a paramedic, in Life Support (BBC1), Jim in Strathblair (BBC1), Sneck in End of the Line (BBC1) and a murderer Jimmy, in Taggart
- Murder in Season on STV when Mark McManus
played the title role.
He played a pantomime dame in the Simply Red
video for the track Jericho from the album Picture Book
. He has continued to act on stage and screen and played the owner of a sauna in Rebus
- Resurrection Men. He has also appeared on stage in productions such as The Jesuit in Edinburgh, The Lyons of Lisbon Glasgow, A Family Affair Edinburgh, Rents London and The Lemmings are Coming, London.
He has made over thirty appearances at the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow
, including Peter Pan
, Cinderella
, The Wizard of Never Woz Please Stay, The Bigot and Paras Over the Baras.
He has also recorded his voice for radio The Bell and the Tree (Radio Clyde), Choke the Gaffer (Radio Scotland) and Short Plays for Radio (Radio 4) and recorded voiceovers for adverts and a website (Placeconnect.com)link title.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actor most widely known for playing Billy the window cleaner
Window cleaner
A window cleaner is a person who maintains the cleanliness of windows, mirrors and other glass surfaces as a profession.-Profession:...
in Gregory's Girl
Gregory's Girl
Gregory's Girl is a 1981 Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth.The film is set in and around a state secondary school in the Abronhill district of Cumbernauld. It features Gordon John Sinclair, Dee Hepburn, and Clare Grogan, among others...
. His famous line was "If I don't see you through the week, I'll see you through a window". He grew up in the Calton
Calton
Calton may refer to:Places:*Calton, Argyll and Bute, Scotland*Calton, Glasgow, Scotland*Calton, North Yorkshire, England*Calton, Ontario, Canada*Calton, Staffordshire, England*Calton Hill, ScotlandPeople:*Patsy Calton, British politician...
area of Glasgow and was a pupil at John Street Secondary School, Glasgow. When he was 16 years old he was the subject of a chapter of a book called The Year of the Child by Bel Mooney
Bel Mooney
Bel Mooney is an English journalist and broadcaster born in Liverpool.-Early life:She was born in Broadgreen Hospital to Gladys Norbury and Edward Mooney. She initially grew up in Liverpool on a council estate called The Green on Queen's Drive...
.
Sannachan was a member of the Glasgow Youth Theatre and is a friend of John Gordon Sinclair
John Gordon Sinclair
John Gordon Sinclair is a Scottish actor most famous for playing Gregory in Gregory's Girl. He was born as Gordon John but took the stage name 'John Gordon Sinclair' because Equity already had a Gordon John registered....
and Robert Buchanan
Robert Buchanan
Robert Buchanan is the name of:* Bob Buchanan , American baseball player* Robert Williams Buchanan , Scottish writer* Robert Buchanan , Scottish footballer...
. He appeared in other films directed by Bill Forsyth
Bill Forsyth
Bill Forsyth is a Scottish film director and writer, noted for his commitment to national film-making.Forsyth first came to attention with a low-budget film, That Sinking Feeling, made with youth theatre actors and featuring a cameo appearance by the Edinburgh gallery owner Richard Demarco...
such as That Sinking Feeling
That Sinking Feeling
That Sinking Feeling is a 1980 comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth, his first film as a director. The film is set in his home city, Glasgow, Scotland. The young actors in film were members of the Glasgow Youth Theatre. The film also features Richard Demarco, the Edinburgh gallery...
in which he played Simmy, and as well as playing Willy, was also the voice of the ice cream van, in Comfort and Joy
Comfort and Joy
Comfort and Joy is a 1984 film directed by Bill Forsyth. It stars Bill Paterson as a radio DJ whose life undergoes a bizarre upheaval when his girlfriend leaves him.-Plot:...
. He also played Gerry in Submarine Escape, Edward in the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
drama Winter Flight and Tam in Living Apart Together.
On television, Douglas was in the children's programme Waiting for Elvis which was part of Dramarama (TV series)
Dramarama (TV series)
Dramarama is the name of a British children's' anthology series broadcast on ITV between 1983 and 1989. It tended to feature drama of a science fiction or supernatural bent. The programme was administered by Tyne Tees Television in Newcastle, who had a track-record for organising cross-franchise...
written by Alex Norton
Alex Norton
Alexander Hugh "Alex" Norton is a Scottish actor. He is probably best known for his roles as DCI Matt Burke in Taggart, and Eddie in the Renford Rejects....
. The episode featured Fergie (played by Sannachan), a young singer, trying to impress Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
during his short stop at Prestwick Airport in 1960 on his only confirmed visit to the UK. He played Billy a paramedic, in Life Support (BBC1), Jim in Strathblair (BBC1), Sneck in End of the Line (BBC1) and a murderer Jimmy, in Taggart
Taggart
Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
- Murder in Season on STV when Mark McManus
Mark McManus
Mark McManus was a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of Detective Chief Inspector Jim Taggart in the long-running ITV television series Taggart for eleven years until his death.-Career:...
played the title role.
He played a pantomime dame in the Simply Red
Simply Red
Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
video for the track Jericho from the album Picture Book
Picture Book
Picture Book was a BBC TV series that first appeared in 1955. It was the Monday programme in the Watch with Mother cycle and was created by Freda Lingstrom. It was initially introduced by Patricia Driscoll. The programme encouraged children to make things...
. He has continued to act on stage and screen and played the owner of a sauna in Rebus
Rebus
A rebus is an allusional device that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words. It was a favourite form of heraldic expression used in the Middle Ages to denote surnames, for example in its basic form 3 salmon fish to denote the name "Salmon"...
- Resurrection Men. He has also appeared on stage in productions such as The Jesuit in Edinburgh, The Lyons of Lisbon Glasgow, A Family Affair Edinburgh, Rents London and The Lemmings are Coming, London.
He has made over thirty appearances at the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow
Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow)
-History:One of Glasgow's oldest theatres, the Pavilion Theatre of Varieties opened on 29 February 1904 as a Music hall. The building has remained relatively unchanged in layout, although the sound and lighting systems have been updated over the years...
, including Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
, Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
, The Wizard of Never Woz Please Stay, The Bigot and Paras Over the Baras.
He has also recorded his voice for radio The Bell and the Tree (Radio Clyde), Choke the Gaffer (Radio Scotland) and Short Plays for Radio (Radio 4) and recorded voiceovers for adverts and a website (Placeconnect.com)link title.
External links
Douglas Sannachan on:- http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=douglas+sannachan&x=18&y=8 Internet Movie Database
- http://www.ukscreen.com/cast/dsannachan UK Screen
- http://www.mgm.com/title_talent.php?id=168830 MGM Movie Database