Ayr Gaiety heart-throb is saddened by closure

Feb 6 2009

YOU don’t know what you’ve got – til it’s gone.

And reverberations of the Gaiety Theatre closure have now reached England.

Jess Conrad had the starring role in Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat back in the 1970s.

And he was so popular with Gaiety audiences, he was asked to return to headline the panto Robin Hood.

Jess said this week: “I can’t believe the Gaiety has closed its doors.

“Fans of mine in Scotland were in touch by email, and this is just devastating news.

“For me and many others, Ayr owes its fame to that great little theatre.”

Jess was a young repertory actor when his good looks launched him on a pop career.

He toured the globe with the likes of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Billy Fury and Marty Wilde.

Jess switched from pop star to musical theatre star in the 1970s when he was the first on-stage Joseph.

He came to Ayr with the show and fell in love with the Gaiety, the town, and its people.

Jess recalled: “The audiences were so great, I was asked back to do the panto.

“And I think I’m probably the only Englishman ever asked to headline a Gaiety panto.

“I just loved Ayr. They gave me honorary membership of the sports centre. And we had a theatre team in the five-a-side football league.”

Jess added: “When the Gaiety’s closure appears in The Stage newspaper, there will be a lot of upset people down here in England too.”

And he pledged: “I’d be happy to put together a show and come up if it would help raise money to keep the theatre open.”

Jess still makes personal appearances as an actor and singer. And he now manages a charity Showbiz XI football team.

Ironically he stars as Larry Parnes, the man who managed many of his contemporary young British pop stars, in Telstar – The Movie.

And he was pleased to hear there is the possibility of a community rescue for the Gaiety.

But in the meantime, council HR people are talking to Gaiety staff about what is to become of them.

A council statement says these will be on an individual basis.

And it adds: “They will ensure that the council’s managing change policy is implemented appropriately.”