..............................  Mel Smith The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, 12th March 2007 photo courtesy of GJHSwaine Photography    People will probably best remember Mel Smith for the television series Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones which he starred in with Gryff Rhys Jones. He is here at The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton today to promote the play he is directing: Charlie's Aunt. He was born in Oxford, and while at the University he got into acting and producing then joined the Royal Court Theatre production company. Mel has a love of classic cars, especially Rolls Royce Silver Shadows, and he drives a Corniche. Smith ended up seriously ill in hospital in 1999 after consuming more than 50 Nurofen tablets, the culmination of a growing addiction to the pills. He said at the time that the pressures of film work were a contributing factor, along with a desperate need to ease the pain caused by gout. Luckily, today he looks well and is on top form joking with the press.      GP Grapics courtesy of PeppermintPattie     Return to Index                 Return to Front Page  Background by Majik Posties