Short Attention Span Theatre - Ayrshire shows in February at Short Attention Span Theatre

Comedy, drama and thought-provoking theatre ... on your doorstep

Forget the February blues – Scotland's leading grassroots theatre is taking new plays to communities in Ayrshire.

Short Attention Span Theatre (SAST) is once again returning to The Gaiety in Ayr – presenting five new plays on Thursday 6 February, Friday 7 February and Saturday 8 February 2025 (two performances per day – 12.30pm and 6.30pm). 

Tickets cost just £15 – which includes soup and a roll (doors open 30 minutes before performances).

Not only that, SAST will then be performing a short tour of Ayrshire community venues – in conjunction with The Gaiety Theatre:

    Dailly Community Hall - Tuesday 11 February – 7.30pm

    Stair Community Centre, Mauchline - Wednesday 12 February – 7.30pm

    McCandlish Hall, Straiton - Thursday 13 February – 7.30pm

    Fairlie Village Hall - Friday 14 February – 7.30pm

    Maybole Town Hall - Saturday 15 February – 7.30pm

All tickets for the community events cost £10. There won't be soup and a roll, but there will be five top-quality new short plays!

As the tour visits Burns Country there are some Robert Burns-themed plays. In Grant McDonald’s ‘Red Rose’, Rose has been given an exercise to help her unpack the reason she hates her nickname. Will it work? Or will the name cause problems for her forever?

In Tom Brogan’s ‘The 1786 Mauchline Poetry Slam’, Rabbie Burns – flush with success – returns to Ayrshire to face his past and reclaim a lost prize. Kay Marquis’ play is based on Tam o’ Shanter.

Writers also include Sean Fee and David Bratchpiece. Sean is from Manchester and won the David Nobbs Memorial Trust prize in 2017. Sean has written for Newsjack and Breaking the News, among other shows. David is a comedian, actor and writer who has performed stand-up comedy around the UK and has written for TV and radio. In 2021, he co-authored the critically-acclaimed book ‘Brickwork: A Biography of the Arches’.

The shows are family-friendly, so while they aren’t specifically aimed at children, there won’t be any strong language or explicit references, so it’s safe to bring the kids and save on a babysitter (running time approximately 60 minutes).

Book online now for all shows via https://thegaiety.co.uk/whats-on or call 01292 288235.

Tom Brogan, co-founder of SAST, said, "We’re so happy to be back at The Gaiety Theatre – our home from home – where we have performed now on a number of occasions. We would love to see you there.

“If you can’t make it and live in a neighbouring community then we might be performing in your area. Check out our mini-tour – in conjunction with The Gaiety.

“We’re offering everyone the chance to enjoy five new short plays – written by amazing writers and performed by our brilliant cast. Theatre is for everyone. Whether you’re a regular or have never been to see a play, come along.”

Since its inception in 2015, SAST has been dedicated to supporting new voices in theatre and, with the help of a stellar cast of professional actors, they have transformed raw talent into captivating performances.

Over the years, SAST has presented the first theatre work by acclaimed authors Rachelle Atalla, Elissa Soave and Kirkland Ciccone, as well as the celebrated short story writer Chris McQueer.

For the latest information on SAST, visit www.shortattentionspantheatre.co.uk
For the latest information on The Gaiety Theatre – Carrick Street, Ayr, KA7 1NU – visit https://thegaiety.co.uk 

* SAST is launching a monthly new material night called Working It Out – dedicated to nurturing new creative work across multiple artistic disciplines.

It’s designed to road test raw material in front of a supportive audience.

Performers can use scripts, notebooks, scraps of paper, cue cards or other aids. 

There’s no pressure to entertain – the night is about allowing artists to work through new ideas.

Working It Out is for playwrights, stand-up comedians, poets, novelists, writers, actors, sketch groups and any other performers who want to try out something new.

It will take place in a new performance space in Glasgow’s Trongate on the last Thursday of each month – beginning on Thursday 27 February 2025.

Email info@shortattentionspantheatre.co.uk for details.