The Stage

Ayr’s Gaiety Theatre to be given new lease of life

Published Tuesday 10 November 2009 at 14:45 by Lalayn Baluch

The future of one of Scotland’s oldest theatres looks set to be secured after a team of local campaigners and businessmen was selected to run the venue.

The Ayr Gaiety Partnership has beat off competition from 11 interested parties to be chosen to operate the Gaiety Theatre.

It has also secured a total of £1 million from the Scottish executive and South Ayrshire Council to put towards a £3 million renovation plan for the 106-year-old building.

The news comes almost a year after 500 theatre campaigners - including Theatres Trust trustee Ben Twist, representatives from Equity and performer Johnny Beattie - gathered to raise concerns about the venue, which they feared would remain permanently dark after the council closed it to examine its “long-term repair”.

The partnership is led by local businessman and former newspaper editor Iain Brown, and includes the ex-leader of the local authority Ian Welsh, lawyer Graeme McKinistry and businessmen David Cosh and Andrew Pickles.

Speaking to The Stage, Brown explained that he wants to see the Grade II-listed venue entirely refurbished throughout. His vision for the theatre will see the 560-seat auditorium modernised with new seating and equipment, the creation of a new restaurant and bar and a refurbished drama studio.

Brown said: “We want to completely redo the Gaiety from top to bottom - we are going to make a new theatre out of it. There is no point going with what is old and battered, it’s got to be a complete refurbishment job. The people of Ayr would expect that.

“It’s usable - £1 million would put it right, but it would only be something like they had before. There is no point in Ayr doing something second best, it’s got to be something good so we can put bums on the seats, and so touring companies will come and support us.”

Brown hopes to relaunch the theatre by Christmas 2010 with a pantomime production. Once open, the venue will host touring theatre companies and a community and education programme. Ayr Gaiety Partnership is laying plans to launch a fundraising drive to raise the remaining £2 million.