ELAINE C.Smith has been up to high do recently. Literally.

Scotland's greatest comedy star has long been known for her singing talent, as evidenced in her one-woman shows.

But now the lady from Lanarkshire is taking song performance onto another level entirely with her new theatre show, Torch Song Divas.

Elaine however won't be on stage alone. She's teaming up with opera singer Christina Dunwoodie. And the results will have to be seen - and heard.

"We're a really unusual double act," says Elaine, delighted to be announcing this new pairing.

"And we've come up with this idea which we're calling Torch Song Divas. The idea is that we tell how women have been represented in song."

Over the years, Scotland's First Lady of Comedy has managed to combine laughs with women's issues.

She's now expanding this theme into music.

"I've always done the 'victim songs,' the country and western women's songs with lyrics such as 'Oh, he's left me again,' the Billie Holiday material and all of that.

"What happened was that Christina had seen my shows, and loved all of that but she brought her own experience of how women are treated in her musical world.

"She pointed out that in opera the strong woman has to be killed. That's a bit extreme of course, but when you think about it, it all makes for an interesting idea to hang a theatre show."

Elaine, Christina and producer Annette Gillies worked up a format for an evening's entertainment.

"We wanted to take this theme on, and decided we'd do the songs we loved, Christina in operatic style and me in a bluesy form.

"And at the same time we'd do snippets of the songs that have a go at women, the standards such as at Kenny Rogers' Ruby, which features the lyric 'If I could move I'd get my darlin' and put her in the ground.' "

Elaine adds, grinning; "Great. Kill her just 'cos she's gone out with her pals for the night.

"And we do Delilah, of course. And we also sing some songs together such as Dido's Lament."

Elaine added; "What we do in the show is look at the impact these songs has on people. In a funny way, of course.

Elaine and Christina, who are backed by Gordon Cree on piano, talk about how song has become an integral part of their own lives.

"We both started off singing in our mammy's living rooms," she says.

"Different results, but the same impact."

The Torch Song Divas idea could be expanded and may go on to tour.

"We'll try it out at the West End Festival," says Elaine. "But we feel it's a great idea, a real unusual mix of delight and daftness, but it all ends up quite funny."

The chances are the evening of torch songs will be hugely successful. Almost everything the Rab C.Nesbitt star touches at the moment turns to gold.

She's a box-office breaking panto star in Aberdeen every year, her recent STV travelogue show Burdz Eye View beat Eastenders in the TV ratings three times.

And Elaine reveals she will follow it up with her own Burdz Eye View of Hogmanay at the end of the year.

"We couldn't believe it," says the actress of the show which is co-produced by Elaine's husband, Bob Morton.

"I'm getting stopped in the street all the time. The recognition factor which goes along with the show is huge."

Meantime, she's set to appear in hit TV drama, The Syndicate.

"It's fantastic to be part of that," she says of Kay Mellor's greed and glory series.

"I get to appear with some fabulous actors, the likes of Anthony Andrews, Lenny Henry and Melanie Hill."

She adds, grinning; "Although filming in a field in Leeds in February isn't the most joyous thing to do, overall, it was great.

"I'm a huge fan of Kay's writing and of the stories and dramas she creates."

Elaine has been making a short film with chum, Andy Gray, The WrongMan.

"Andy has been directing, but somehow he's managed to get himself into every scene, using mirrors, the lot," she says laughing.

However, Elaine's greatest role she has just landed is that of Grandmother to the 'beautiful Baby Stella.'

"My daughter Katie gave birth on May 25th and it's just fantastic," she says.

"I can't believe how it's all going so well on the professional and personal front.

"I've got a lovely mix in life."

€¢ Torch Song Divas, Websters Theatre, (formerly Lansdowne Church) Great Western Road, June 19 and 20.