No Smoke Causes Fire For Angry Smith???

Mel Smith has fallen foul of Scottish anti-smoking legislation at the Edinburgh Fringe (See News 27 Apr 2006), after he tried to light-up during a performance of Allegiance at the Assembly Rooms, in which he plays Winston Churchill. The actor was told the venue would lose its licence if he smoked, following the ban which came into force north of the border in March. Having rehearsed with a real cigar, Smith was apparently outraged when just half an hour before curtain up he was told he would have to pretend to smoke instead. He reportedly slammed his cigar and lighter down on a table on stage, after saying a line in which he offers a cigar to another member of the cast and proceeds to enjoy one himself. He said: “If smoking an inch of a Romeo y Julieta endangers other people’s livelihoods then I am not going to do it.” However, he delighted in smoking out of a window of the venue after the show. Scottish councillors said they would take “appropriate action” against people who break the ban, which can result in fines of up to £2,500.

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