'Playing an autistic character helped me unmask myself'

Comedian Ashley Storrie has revealed playing an autistic character in her first lead acting role helped her to become more open about her own challenges.

Ashley plays Nina a neurodiverse palaeontologist in Dinosaur, a comedy drama set to air on BBC Scotland on 14 April.

The six-part series follows Nina and her family in the lead up to her sister Evie’s impromptu wedding.

Ashley, who has autism, said the role enabled her to “unmask” in real life.

She told BBC Scotland News: "I don’t know if you go 'oh I’d love to play a woman who is autistic like me' but it turned into a dream for the fact it's given me the opportunity to do acting."

The BBC Radio Scotland host said while there were some crossovers between her and her character, there were lots of differences.

“She lives her whole life very unmasked and very open about her autism but that’s only something I’ve kind of felt able to do since playing Nina,” Ashley added.

“Before this I tried a lot more to be normal, to make other people feel comfortable but Nina didn’t do that so that became something we had in common.

“I now feel more at liberty to just be myself and say 'I’m autistic so I’m not being rude'."

The role is Ashley Storrie's first lead acting debut

Ashley said the programme differed from other shows featuring an autistic lead character because "it's not all doom and gloom".

"Sometimes that can be a bit unhelpful. It’s always good to have the voices of people who have lived those things," she said.

Ashley is also listed as the show's co-creator, alongside Matilda Curtis, as she helped convey her own "lived experiences".

The comedian said: "I think it’s important that we keep seeing all different types of characters on our screen because, unfortunately or fortunately, I think we live in a world where people's opinions are formed from the media they consume.

"So when you say to somebody 'I’m autistic', they’ll say 'but you’re not rocking back and forth or counting toothpicks' because their only point of reference is Rain Man. That is a problem."

Ashley Storrie and Kat Rooney, who plays her sister Eva filmed some scenes in Kelvingrove

The series is set in Glasgow and the west coast of Scotland, and features locations that will be familiar Scottish audiences, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The decision was only taken to set the drama in Scotland after Ashley successfully auditioned.

The comedian said she was happy to be able to film in her home city, as it is "one of the most beautiful in the world".

Ashley said: "It was very comforting filming in places that I knew but also just getting to put down on paper, and show growing up Scottish, in a way that hasn’t necessarily been done before.

“I think outside of Scotland there is this image of Scotland, that is somewhere between Trainspotting and Outlander and there’s not a lot in the middle.”

One episode also features Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, a place Ashley used to visit with her grandmother as a child.

Ashley stars alongside David Carlyle, Greg Hemphill and Sally Howitt

As well as showing off the sites of Scotland it also features a host of stars including Still Game’s Greg Hemphill, who plays Nina’s father Ade, and River City’s Sally Howitt.

The cast also includes Sanjeev Kohli, David Carlyle and Katie Dickie.

You can watch Dinosaur on the BBC Scotland Channel on 14 April at 22:30 or on BBC Three on 16 April at 22:30.