Tribute gigs to honour Smith

Friends of Linda Smith are planning two tribute gigs to raise money for causes close to her heart.

The first will take place in Sheffield, where she started her career, and the second in London.

Smith, who died of ovarian cancer in February aged just 48, lived and worked in Sheffield for 13 years.

She and partner Warren Lakin were active in the theatre scene there, and helped bring alternative comedy to the city through the Route 52 comedy club.

The Lyceum Theatre will host the first of the tribute gigs, entitled In Praise of an English Radical, on May 14.

Confirmed acts include her friends and colleagues Jeremy Hardy, John Hegley, Steve Gribbin and jazz singer Sandi Russell, as well as other characters from her Sheffield days.

Proceeds from the gig will go to to Macmillan Cancer Relief, Marie Curie Cancer Care and the British Humanist Association, of which she was president.

Tickets, priced £12 to £22, are available from 0114 249 6000.

The second benefit will be held at the Victoria Theatre, London, on June 4.

Published: 13 Apr 2006