Theatre group stage Christmas special

Dec 16 2011 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

THEY’RE ready to bring the magic of Christmas to one of Ayr’s most historic buildings.

And this young group of thespians are hoping to breathe new life into the town’s tired stage scene.

The talented bunch of current and former UWS students are pledging to make their new acting venture a winner.

And after their Halloween debut was a sell-out success, the enthusiastic crew are back for a festive run.

Calling themselves War Cry Productions, the team aim to stage interactive plays based on audience participation.

Their first show, Outbreak, won rave reviews after pulling in the crowds in the old prison cells below Ayr Town Hall.

Now they’re back with a new take on Christmas which is set to pull in the punters again.

Calum Hart is one of the driving forces behind the group.

He said: “The response we got to Outbreak was amazing – we actually had to put on extra shows to satisfy the demand.

“Our aim with War Cry is to get as many local actors involved as possible and put on these interactive productions.

“We think Ayr is a town of great potential and for many of us students, it has been somewhere that has given a lot to us.

“We’d now like to give something back by putting on these shows and, hopefully, it might lead to something on a more regular basis.”

The team’s latest outing is a children’s play called A Brief History of Christmas, featuring a professor from Lapland.

All the usual festive fun will be delivered in the play, which has backing from Ayr Renaissance, with audience participation a key element of the show.

War Cry member Ross Hunter, 23, said: “Kids will be encouraged to come up and help the professor during the play.

“It will be very interactive and each show will have a life of its own.

“We’re staging the show inside one of the rooms at Ayr Town Hall which is perfect for an intimate style of play.

“Each sitting will have around 70 to 80 people and we’re hoping schools will come along and it should be a very busy run for us.”

The shows will run on December 17, 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23 with tickets priced £8 for adults and £5 for concessions.

Tickets are available from Saffy’s restaurant or on the door.