AYR FORT PLAYERS
Ayrshire's oldest established amateur dramatic group, since 1946
Ayrshire's oldest established amateur dramatic group, since 1946
The Ayr Fort Players started from humble
beginnings in a school classroom at Ayr Academy in 1946 to becoming one of the
longest established, much loved amateur dramatic groups in Ayrshire. The
earliest productions were staged at Ayr Town Hall, a challenging venue in which
to perform drama - limited lighting, bad acoustics, no proscenium, absolutely
no changing facilities - but they persevered.
Then came an absolute revelation for the
local drama community – Ayr Burgh Council had been convinced to buy and convert
the Robertson Memorial Church into a Civic Theatre. So, from 1951 through to
the early 2000s, local drama groups and touring companies had a wonderful new
home. The theatre was an ideal size for drama and is still fondly remembered by
those who played there or attended performances. In 2009 South Ayrshire Council
took the hasty decision to demolish the theatre with concerns that there was an
asbestos problem – that was an incredibly sad day.
The Ayr Fort Players then moved into the
Gaiety theatre but, just as they were about to stage How the Other Half
Loves, the council shut the theatre down. Luckily there was an opening at
Belmont Academy a year later, again a challenging venue but, if nothing else,
the group are always up for a challenge.
Eventually, after the Gaiety Theatre
was saved and taken over by Ayr Gaiety Partnership, the Ayr Fort Players had,
once again, found a new and exciting home.
Over the years, the Ayr Fort Players, have
provided entertainment with classic farces such as See How They Run, Move
Over Mrs Markham; quality modern drama – 84 Charing Cross Road, Steel
Magnolias; Scottish comedies – Toom Byres, Whisky Galore and stage
adaptations of popular TV sitcoms such as Dad’s Army and Fawlty
Towers. In fact the Ayr Fort Players were the first to perform the stage
adaptation of Fawlty Towers and were also the first amateur group
granted the rights to Tony Roper’s famous Scottish comedy The Steamie,
which played to packed houses during the 1997 Ayr Festival.
For Homecoming
Scotland 2009, the production was Rikki Fulton’s uproarious A Wee Touch O’
Class. Since then, the productions have covered Alan Ayckbourn’s How the
Other Half Loves, another successful production of The Steamie, The
Vicar of Dibley, Noises Off, No Sex Please We’re British, The 39 Steps, Stepping
Out (which was produced at the Town Hall while the Gaiety was going through
a facelift), The Ladykillers, City Lights, Gaslight, Murder on the Nile, etc. The production, before the Covid 19 epidemic took hold, was Don’t Get
Your Vicars in a Twist – the last production to take place at the Gaiety
before it was forced to close its doors due to the pandemic. We came bouncing
back in 2022 with The Happiest Days of Your Life . Then, later that year,
we presented an evening of monologues (and one duologue) especially
commissioned for the Ayr Fort Players, using local artists, writers and
directors under the umbrella of Doormatters.
In 2023 our spring
production was Agatha Crusty and the Village Hall Murders which was enthusiastically
received. Our Autumn production was Dead of Night a thriller, which fell on the same weekend as the International Air Show, so only had two performances. 2024 saw another successful production, this time it was Amateur Rites. In a nomal year, the Ayr Fort Players
stage two productions, one in spring and one in autumn. Also, they are involved
in Ayr’s many cultural events, touring and presenting one act plays.
If you are interested in an Ayr Fort Players production for your venue, please contact the President
All profits from their productions are
donated to Cancer Research and, as of 2022, in excess of £60,000 has been
handed over to this much deserved charity.
It seems nothing can stop the Ayr Fort
Players and that is partly due to loyal audiences coming out for an evening's
entertainment, knowing they can bring the whole family and have a great night
at the theatre.
Long
established Amateur group The Ayr Fort Players present a ‘radio play’
production (with cast reading from scripts alongside a technical team member
undertaking live sound effects).
Five Go To Glasgow is a parody of Enid Blyton's well-loved novels The Famous Five. Our Intrepid Five go on an adventure that is truly tongue-in-cheek! Laughs galore!
When Aunt Fanny sends ‘the five’ off to stay
with George’s distant cousin in Glasgow, the four kids are taken on a walking
tour of the city and sites. To their dismay someone they meet along the way
absconds with their dog Timmy! Follow the kids’ extraordinary escapade as they
leap into action with their cunning rescue plan, culminating with a slap-up
afternoon tea with their Aunt Fanny to recount their big adventure.
The one thing to remember is - this is for radio, so maybe the 'kids' aren't quite as young as they would be if they had to appear on stage. In fact, the majority of the cast have waved goodbye to their youth a number of summers past!
A radio play for the stage
GAIETY STUDIO
Thu 22nd and Fri 23rd August 2024
STAIR COMMUNITY CENTRE
Sat 7th September 2024
BALLANTRAE COMMUNITY CENTRE
Sun 8th September 2024
McCOSH HALL - KIRKMICHAEL
Sat 14th September 2024
FAIRLIE VILLAGE HALL
Sun 15th September 2024
NARRATOR - Sally Rennie
AUNT FANNY - Grainne Home
GEORGE - Amy McGillivray
TIMMY - Susan Dempsey
JULIAN - Mike Turberville
DICK - Alix Adam
ANNE - Maire McWilliams
MR HOGSHEAD - Jerry Ferguson
STATION PORTER - Craig Hill
JIMMY - Craig Hill
FISH AND CHIP WOMAN - Marie McWilliams
ICE CREAM MAN - Euan McArdle
HOMELESS MAN - Euan McArdle
SFX - Susan Dempsey and Robyn Cyr
STAGE MANAGER - Tess Smith
DIRECTED by Nick Wakeham
with Amy Anderson
The Girl on the Train is a psychological thriller based on the novel by Paula Hawkins and Dreamworks Film. Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel
Centered around Rachel Watson, a troubled protagonist who finds solace in observing a seemingly perfect couple from her train window, the story takes a dark turn when Rachel becomes entangled in a missing person investigation. As layers of deception unravel, the play explores themes of addiction, betrayal, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion.
A suspenseful tale that keeps audiences guessing until the final revelation.
AUDITIONS for this exciting production will be on Thursday 19th and Monday 23rd September 2024. If you would like to be considered for a role in this production, please contact us using the form below
BOOK TICKETS FOR THE SHOWClick on the arrow for details of shows.
If show has a live link then clicking on it will lead you to any images we have in our archives.
Ayr Fort Players have a variety of costumes from past productions which we hire out at a nominal fee. We also have props and furniture for hire.
Please use enquiry form below
Auditions for new productions are open to all who wish to
attend. Aspiring actors aren’t the only section of the theatrical community
that we welcome with open arms. It takes many people to stage our productions.
So, if you think you wouldn’t be comfortable on stage, why not consider joining
us in one of the many other departments such as Stage Management, Props,
Wardrobe, Scenic Design and Construction? We expect all our members to be
involved in all productions if possible – one production you may be playing the lead
and the next you could be a vital part of the backstage crew.
Normally we rehearse twice a week in the centre of Ayr.
Membership costs only £15 per year, or £5 if you are a
full-time student. If you are over 16 and are interested in becoming a member
then fill in our form and we will let you know when the next audition is being
held or invite you along to our current rehearsals.
You can also contact us via Facebook or
Twitter.
For absolutely any questions you may have about the Ayr Fort Players then please use the form opposite and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
If you wish to join the company then please use the form above in the Join Us section of the website.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Questions we often get asked - and the answers
