Maureen Carr, former River City and Still Game star, on Oran Mor play

Yet, Carr is delighted to be working. It’s an endorsement that having been in the business for more than four decades, she must be doing something right. “I’ve been very lucky,” she says in thankful voice. “When you get a bit older you tend to feel the aches a bit more. And sometimes touring in theatre can be tough. And this Scottish weather certainly seeps into the bones. But I’m so pleased to be in the position I’m in right now. In fact, I’ve never been so content. I believe that my 40s, 50s and now my 60s have been my happiest times.”

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Why is this the case? Maureen Carr has revealed she never sought, nor felt comfortable with the idea of fame, or being recognised. Her argument rang true in the sense she never attended drama school, had no great career plan. Indeed, growing up in Kirkintilloch, she found her way into acting via the local am dram groups. “I guess when I was younger, I was trying to work out who Maureen Carr was,” she wonders.

“You think everybody is having a better time than you. (Which could be partly explained by the loss of her mum at 21, and her dad at 30.) The grass is always greener. You think everyone has this great life. But young people don’t know that’s not always the case. That’s why I feel for youngsters today and the impact of social media. They are bombarded with images suggesting everyone else is having a better time of it than themselves.”

Growing older saw the arrival for the actor of some great parts, such as playing a playing a drug dealer granny in River City and in Still Game she transformed into donkey-toothed grotesque Edith. And in later years, Carr became more comfortable with the public attention.

But what’s perhaps helped Maureen Carr’s calm is realising how the chaos of life, the sudden losses, almost commands that we grasp at life with both hands and recognize the important of a support system around us. “I think as you get older you become wiser,” she says with a hopeful smile. And you certainly appreciate more of what you have.”

Maureen Carr (Image: free)

Her voice darkens a little. “My sister died when I was on tour. She was only 69, and when you are losing people round about you know you have to try and grab at the little moments of pleasure and make the most of the important people around you.”

She reflects. “The strange thing about grief is that we are faced with constant reminders of our loss. I’ll see an ad on TV, or a pic will pop up on Facebook of my sister and think ‘That’s nice. That’s my sister saying to me ‘I’m still here.’”

There is little doubt that the magic of comedy theatre can swell not just the spirits of an audience but that of the performer. Maureen Carr is delighted to back on the fun stage this week in a farce, Bread and Breakfast.

Set in the Highlands, Kirstie Halliday’s play features the life and highly chaotic times of Irene, who runs a run-down B&B, Nessie’s Lodge - which is rather like Fawlty Towers with dampness and dead animals in the oven. “The storyline sees Irene try to sell the place but can’t because it only has a one-star rating. She is helped by her assistant, (Erin Elkin) but life becomes complicated when a hotel inspector (James Peake) turns up. And a policeman. Or is he?

Indeed. And is that body we assume to be dead in fact on its way to heaven?

Carr says she loves farce, and this play is Orton-esque with its sense of deliberate confusions and darkness. “I’ve always loved farce, and that goes back to the days of working with Jimmy Logan in plays such as Stop It, Nurse! I learned so much about timing from him.”

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She laughs. “I also learned that he would clap behind his back when he came on to trigger the audience reaction. And he was great a deliberate corpsing. But he was such a great performer. And over the years I’ve also had the chance to work in farce with the likes of brilliant actresses such as Dorothy Paul, Elaine C. Smith, and Una McLean.”

Carr grins. “You can’t not pick up performance tips from greats such as these. And if you see a little bit of Dorothy or Una appear this week, you’ll know why.”

Bread and Breakfast, a Play Pie and a Pint, Oran Mor, Glasgow, lunchtimes, until Saturday.

Don’t Miss: David Hayman starring in the unyielding, dynamic, hilariously funny - and theatrically dangerous - Cyprus Avenue, which runs at the Pavilion Theatre, February 27 – March 2.