Our story since 2007

The History of Best Acts

Scotland's Best Acts Entertainments — now known simply as Best Acts — has evolved considerably since it was established by professional entertainer Jim Smart in 2007.

From artist management to Scotland's first Take That tribute act, from a Dumbarton High Street agency office to BBC Scotland's Viva Variety — and on to today's production-led theatre, touring and venue-services company.

Since 2007

Best Acts Entertainments

Dumbarton, Scotland

2007 – 2009

How it began

A live band performing to a packed venue in the early days of Best Acts

An artist management company

Jim established Best Acts exclusively as an artist management company, creating, developing and managing its own acts.

During this early period, Best Acts put together Scotland’s first Take That tribute act, Take This, as well as Scotland’s first Girls Aloud tribute act Girls Rloud. It also created fABBAlous, Scotland’s second ABBA tribute act, created due to the success, popularity and limited availability of ABBA tribute acts at the time.

fABBAlous became one of the company’s most enduring successes and continues to be managed by Best Acts today.

More than simply arranging bookings

These productions helped establish Best Acts within Scotland’s live entertainment industry and demonstrated that the company could do much more than simply arrange bookings. Best Acts was involved in selecting performers, developing the shows, creating their presentation, securing engagements and managing the acts’ longer-term careers.

Working with a well known Entertainment agency

As Best Acts developed, it expanded from managing its own acts into the wider entertainment-agency business. During this period, Best Acts worked with a well known Entertainment agency, but the two companies remained entirely separate and Best Acts continued to operate independently. The agency processed Best Acts’ own venue bookings through its agency system.

Best Acts later became completely independent of this arrangement and began processing all of its bookings directly.

January 2009

West Dunbartonshire’s first dedicated entertainment agency office

In January 2009, Best Acts opened what was described as West Dunbartonshire’s first dedicated entertainment agency office on Dumbarton High Street. It provided a central location where pubs, clubs, hotels and event organisers could browse available performers and discuss their entertainment requirements directly with Best Acts.

Local acts were invited to audition, with successful performers included in a catalogue promoted to venues throughout Scotland.

The office opening was reported by the Daily Record

The people

Who was involved?

Jim Smart — Founder

Jim Smart founded and initially developed Best Acts, combining its management and agency operations with his own career as a professional entertainer and Freddie Mercury performer.

Annemarie Dodds — Joined 2010

Annemarie Dodds joined Best Acts in 2010 and became a central figure in running and developing its agency operations. Together, Jim and Annemarie built Best Acts into one of the area’s most established entertainment suppliers, representing and booking performers for venues, public events, corporate occasions and private functions.

Major clients and venues

As Best Acts grew, it supplied entertainment to a considerable range of hospitality and leisure businesses across Scotland. Some of its biggest clients included:

G CasinoManorview HotelsLadyglen HotelsShergill HotelsHoliday parksSocial and private members' clubsIndependent hotels, pubs and entertainment venues

The agency supplied everything from individual singers, tribute performers and DJs to bands, speciality acts and complete entertainment programmes. It became particularly experienced in matching performers to the different audiences and commercial requirements of hotels, casinos, holiday parks and clubs.

Best Acts was not simply providing occasional performers. In many cases, it helped clients plan and maintain their wider entertainment programmes, working with venues to provide suitable and dependable acts throughout the year.

2014

BBC Scotland’s Viva Variety

In 2014, Best Acts and the people behind the company were featured in BBC Scotland’s television documentary Viva Variety.

The programme explored Scotland’s variety entertainment industry and gave viewers an insight into the performers, agents and personalities working both on stage and behind the scenes. Best Acts’ inclusion reflected the company’s growing profile and established position within Scotland’s live entertainment circuit.

It also allowed television audiences to see a side of the entertainment business that customers rarely encounter, including the auditions, bookings, professional relationships and considerable amount of work involved in keeping performers on stage and venues entertained.

The agency years

What Best Acts did as an agency

For many years, Best Acts operated as a full-service entertainment agency. Its work included:

Representing singers, bands, tribute performers, DJs and speciality acts.

Supplying entertainment to hotels, casinos, pubs, clubs, holiday parks, weddings and private functions.

Auditioning, advising and developing new performers.

Organising showcases and talent searches, including a widely reported search for local singers to form a new boyband.

Producing themed tribute, variety and party shows.

Promoting public events, charity nights and community entertainment.

Planning and managing entertainment programmes for hospitality and leisure clients.

Providing sound, lighting, staging, ticketing and event support.

From performers to complete shows

The agency operated from several premises during its history, including Dumbarton High Street, Main Street in Alexandria and the Griffon Centre in the Vale of Leven Industrial Estate.

As the business developed, Best Acts moved beyond simply supplying individual performers. It began creating and managing complete shows and events, taking responsibility for the performers, production, promotion, ticketing, technical requirements and front-of-house arrangements.

Dumbarton Football Club

Jim and Annemarie also became involved in running events and functions at Dumbarton Football Club. In 2022, the club described them as established local entertainment professionals when announcing their involvement in its events operation.

Dumbarton Football Club announcement

2026

The agency moves forward independently

In 2026, the traditional agency side of Best Acts was separated from the company’s theatre and production work.

Annemarie Dodds took full control of the agency operation and continued it independently under her own brand, AMD Entertainments.

Best Acts therefore no longer operates as a conventional agency supplying individual performers to hotels, pubs, clubs and private functions. That area of the former business is now handled independently by AMD Entertainments.

Today

What Best Acts does today

Under Jim Smart’s direction, Best Acts has been repositioned as a production-led theatre, touring and venue-services company. Its present work centres on:

Creating, producing and promoting complete theatrical productions.

Developing productions for UK theatre and venue tours.

Working directly with theatres, town halls and larger venues.

Managing ticketing, publicity and audience development.

Providing sound, lighting, bar and operational support.

Promoting and supporting events at the Denny Civic Theatre in Dumbarton.

Jim Smart presents The Freddie Story — Best Acts' flagship theatrical production

Current productions

The Freddie StoryEighties HeavenSeventies TimewarpfABBAlousThe Queens

Its flagship production, The Freddie Story, was created by and stars Jim Smart. It has developed from Jim’s long-running Freddie Mercury performance into a full theatrical concert experience, combining live vocals, narration, immersive projection, audience interaction and the greatest hits of Queen. The show launched at the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe to rave reviews and is gearing up for an extensive tour in 2027/28.

The company’s identity today is therefore quite different from that of the former entertainment agency. Best Acts began by creating and managing its own performers, expanded into supplying entertainment throughout Scotland and now concentrates on creating, packaging, promoting and touring complete theatrical productions.

The journey

From management to theatre production

01
Artist management company
02
Creator of some of Scotland's earliest tribute acts
03
Independent entertainment agency
04
Major supplier to Scottish hotels, casinos, holiday parks and clubs
05
Featured company in BBC Scotland's Viva Variety
06
Producer of complete events and shows
07
Theatre production, touring and venue-services company