Ayr theatre fan builds replica Gaiety in his bedroom

Oct 22 2010 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

HERE’S one Gaiety Theatre that’s still open.

Live shows playing to sell-out audiences, star names and thrilling stage productions.

And it’s all happening in one man’s bedroom.

For model builder Scott Adam has spent the last 20 years creating a stunning life-size tribute to his favourite haunt.

And the stunning creation is so good that theatre legend Johnny Beattie even believed it was the real thing.

Now Scott, of Ayr, is hoping the Gaiety’s rescue package doesn’t take as long as his labour of love.

He said: “I’ve been captivated by the theatre since my youth and it somehow spiralled into making this model.

“I didn’t think it would take me 20 years, but I’ve stopped and started along the way and often wondered if I would finish.

“I got the second wind I needed when the Gaiety closed almost two years ago. It just stirred something inside of me.

“I am so passionate about the theatre and everything it stands for. It has a special atmosphere and intimacy that you don’t get anywhere else.

“What’s happened to that place is an absolute crime and I just hope it re-opens as soon as possible.”

Scott, who works at Prestwick Airport, launched his one-man mission to re-create the famous theatre in 1990.

And his only help came from late mum Morag, who provided the model’s stage curtain.

Now he’s taken things to the next level with a fully working light and music show to accompany the 1:25 scale model.

And regular shows, including the Gaiety Whirl, are held in his bedroom for friends who lap up the action.

Scott, 39, revealed: “It’s all a bit of fun really but people who come to see it are fascinated by the whole workings of the theatre.

“I try to do it just like the real thing and my shows can last up to 90 minutes.

“I’ll include everything from lighting effects to backing music and soundtracks. It’s all very theatrical.”

And Scott’s creation was so realistic that it even fooled some of the Gaiety’s biggest ever stars.

Theatre legend Johnny Beattie believed he was looking at the real deal when shown images of Scott’s incredible model.

Scott smiled: “I showed pictures of the model to Johnny and he asked when I’d been inside the Gaiety to take them.

“When I said they were actually pictures of my model, he couldn’t believe it.”

The replica Gaiety is based on the theatre from its 1980s heyday and includes a bustling cafe/bar.

Now Scott hopes his creation can take pride of place in any re-opened theatre.

He said: “The model has always sat gathering dust in my house and is a nightmare to keep clean.

“I’ve never really thought about displaying it in public, but it would be great for people to see and I know how many people out there love the Gaiety.

“It would be a privilege to show it off.”

But he laughed: “I think it might be a problem getting it down from my top floor flat. It’s so big now that I’m frightened to ever move it.”