Ann Louise's latest roles bring her home to the North

INVERNESS actress Ann Louise Ross plays tough cookies in both her latest roles – one of them as tractor-driving Grannie Island in new TV series Katie Morag that launched on CBeebies two Sundays ago.

It already seems to have made her a celebrity in her adopted home in Dundee where she’s acted with the acclaimed Dundee Rep theatre company since it opened more than 14 years ago.

Ann, talking at the weekend, laughed: "There was a big article in the local paper here yesterday about me being in Katie Morag.

"And this morning, I was walking home with the dog when a taxi driver stopped beside us at the lights and shouted ‘You’re getting very popular!’."

Ann had a lot of fun filming in Lewis last spring and summer playing the feisty no-nonsense Grannie Island.

Having finished appearing in Glasgow one Saturday in April, Ann flew to Stornoway the next day and was on set for first thing Monday morning.

She laughed: "I was a bit shellshocked, having worked solidly from January on the other role.

"But I gladly threw myself into Katie Morag, learning to drive a tractor at eight o’clock that Monday morning!

"It was pouring rain and a howling gale, but it had to be done – and it was great fun.

"I was doing it on a little track beside a loch and the scenery – even in the wind and the rain – was absolutely amazing.

"I had to keep smiling to myself. I was getting sodden, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

"That was the start of what turned out to be three and a half glorious months and I loved every minute of it!"

Writer Mairi Hedderwick created Grannie Island as a contrast for Katie Morag’s other gran, Grannie Mainland – totally feminine and into her cosmetics.

Ann explained: "Orignally, Mairi had written Grannie Island as gradnad – but the Americans were apparently a bit worried at the idea he and Katie Morag would have such a close relationship.

"So Mairi just changed Grandad into Grannie!

"So Grannie Island became the tractor-driving, grumpy character. But she’s very warm-hearted. She has that kind of Highland thing of ‘No, I’m not going to show my emotions!’.

"And her attitude to Grannie Mainland is very funny.

"Barbara Rafferty plays her and we had great laughs when we were filming.

"Barbara stayed just along the road from me in Stornoway and, once filming was over, she’d come along to mine and we’d have biscuits, cheese and a wee glass of wine – and just laugh."

Ann also enjoyed working with eight-year-old Cherry Campbell who plays Katie Morag herself.

"It was a delight to work with Cherry – who was eight on the first day of filming.

"She was so completely natural. She had that twinkle in her eye. She and I had a great time, her in the wee trailer behind the tractor, bumping along the road."

But Ann finds herself all on her own for the theatre role that brings her to the Highlands for four dates next week.

Promises, Promises by Douglas Maxwell tells the story of retired teacher Maggie, called in as a supply teacher faced with protecting a young Somalian girl under threat.

It’s a dramatic one-woman play and Ann admits that she finds it daunting every night she steps out on stage as Maggie.

It was while learning the script for Promises, Promises that the film of Sunshine On Leith came out.

Though Ann played Jean in the stage version to great reviews, neither she nor any of the other stage cast were picked for the movie.

It came as no surprise to Ann.

"It’s seldom that a film is cast from the stage show and I am not a name, so they would have wanted to go for somebody who had more of a name," she pointed out.

"But I was invited to the film opening in Edinburgh, but I was so busy learning the role of Maggie for the play that I had to put myself in a strict regime.

"It’s 47 pages of monologue. I just had to give up everything else in life, virtually.

"It’s not just learning, it’s getting right into the soul of Maggie."

"When I read the script at first, I knew it was an amazing character – and I’d be foolish not to give it a go!

"Bbut I’d jump into a volcano before hand rather than go on, but then the next minute I’m on – and it’s fine!"

There’s a complete contrast for Ann with her next production.

Gone are the sensible outdoor clothes of Grannie Island, instead she’ll be enjoying the "stunning designs" of Dundee Rep’s post-Christmas production, Agatha Christie murder mystery And Then There Were None.

Promises, Promises is at Eden Court on Monday and Tuesday (Nov 11 and 12), Plockton Village Hall on Wednesday (Nov 13) and at the Ceilidh Place, Ullapool, on Saturday (Nov 16). Katie Morag continues on CBeebies at 5.25pm every Sunday.