Gaiety Theatre Ayr reviews
Welcome to George's Theatre Reviews! This page is dedicated to my experiences at the wonderful Gaiety Theatre Ayr. Here, you'll find my personal reviews of various shows I've watched, offering insights and opinions to help you decide on your next theatrical adventure.
Hen Night Horror Review Gaiety Theatre Ayr 2026
Hen Night Horror Review Gaiety Theatre Ayr 2026
Hen Night Horror
5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Written by Fraser Boyle and Ali Cleland
Fraser Boyle is a writer of wonderfully funny pantomimes, with Hen Night Horror along with Ali they have written a filthy funny comedy-Horror musical.
With BDSM, An Escaped mad man who enjoys a bit of self-love in the woods and a Bride and two of her maids. They have managed to write a show that has pantomime elements but very much for adults.
Donna has arranged Amanda’s hen night in a woodland Air B&B along with Lydia the second of the bridesmaids.
Donna and Lydia have a long standing fall out but Amanda desperate for a perfect Instagram wedding is determined they make up!
The comedy between the three girls expertly played with relish by, Jennifer Neil, Hannah Howie and Dani Heron comes quick and with filth!
Alan Orr is a star turn as Mr Jeffries, who first appears in a puppy play rubber suit!
His facial expressions during a particularly kinky moment are sidesplittingly hilarious.
As things take a darker turn Matthew McKenna appears as PC Walters.
He warns the girls there is an escaped lunatic in the area. He arrives speaking a very broad version of Aberdonian Doric.
To reveal too much of the story would take away the twists and turns. Of which there are many and all well formed.
Throughout the play there are songs written for the musical, each song complements the story and fits in well. You will find yourself humming some of the tunes on the way home.
Hen Night Horror is a perfect homage to “the old dark house” films of the 40’s, with more than a dash of Bridesmaids and a few jump scares along the way.
There is even a nod to Agatha Christie’s longest running play, if you know, you know!
Grab a group of friends and find Hen Night Horror on its tour, you will be sore laughing.
Gaiety Wednesday 30th
The Steamie review Ayr Gaiety Theatre 2026
The Steamie
Rerr Terr productions
By Tony Roper with songs by Dave Anderson
5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Steamie is one of Scotland’s most beloved plays, and probably the best known due to the television movie broadcast on Hogmanay.
Set in a Glasgow Steamie around1955 four women of various ages come together to do the household laundry and gossip, and gossip they do.
There is Mrs Culfeathers an older woman in her 70’s who takes in washing from the richer families, to earn some money. She loves the company of the Steamie, with her husband not doing so well and the family living down south it helps her be less lonely.
She remembers the old days of the open air steamie of Glasgow green, romanticising the memory with the Shirts and dresses dancing together on the ropes in the summer breeze.
Doreen the youngest of the girls, not long married she wishes for a TV, sprays (showers) in the house and a white picket fenced house, with a washing machine. This will give her leisure time, to do what she wants. Having recently put her name down for a house in Drumchapel she thinks her worries will be over.
Magrit is harder she has a larger family all wanting a piece of her, her husband takes a drink and is the bane of her life, although prone to a very barbed comment she still enters in to the fun and always apologises if she has over-stepped the mark.
Dolly is full of fun, never stops talking, full of the gossip with a heart of gold, always willing to lend a hand to Mrs Culfeathers with heavy laundry and trips to the ringers.
The Steamie is almost 40 years old but still fills theatres with its blend of humour, pure gallus Glassow patter, pathos and most importantly nostalgia.
As soon as Louise McCarthy comes on stage and blurts out “Magrit, zat your stall” you know you are in good hands. She becomes Dolly.
This is a dream cast, Ali Clelland as Magrit, Eden Barrie as Doreen, Olivier award winning Lesley Mackie as Mrs Culfeathers and Paul J Corrigan as Andy the young handyman who enjoys the attention of the women and a fair few too many Hogmanay drinks!
For a play it actually has no real plot. It’s a group of women together in a place where they can tell stories, lament about their husbands, talk about other folk and their families away from the men in their lives.
It gets them away from the constant nagging of the family life and they can come together to laugh.
What really gives the play "the big picture" is Dave Andersons excellent songs that come between some of the sketches.
Doreen’s lovely Disney like song “Dreams Come True” makes the thought of moving away from the smoke and grey of the city to Drumchapel seem like an oasis.
“Pals” follows on from Mrs Culfeathers opening up about not seeing her grand weans, and drinking her first whisky.
This song closes the first half and it really stands for what the steamie is, a place to speak to yer pals and sort the world out.
The opening of act two gives Dolly her own song “Cry” and it’s the only time you really see Dolly sad, normally the life and soul of the rerr terr she gets to sing “Maybe it’s jist, women get the blues”.
Her maudlin doesn’t last long though as it’s in to the hilarious scene where Dolly gets a wash down in the laundry sink.
That’s the beauty of this play one minute you can be greetin’ the next in guffaws of laughter.
Magrit gets possibly the most famous of the songs “Isn’t it Wonderful to Be a Woman” the lament of a women’s work never being done.
Luckily this was sung this time, often it’s done as a poem and that never quite works as well as the song.
This production, after the applause has the cast sing a verse and chorus of Pals, personally I prefer the original end song of “All The Best ( When it Comes)” however the full show is so good it doesn’t detract from the night out.
You can’t miss this play on its tour, Tony Roper has said it will be the last time he directs, to see it done as he likes with the best possible cast is a must.
Especially with Kenny Millar’s set and costume design. You feel as if you are back in 1955 listening to yer granny!
No Mince was mentioned in this review – yes it is done, so, so well!
Twice Nightly Review Gaiety Theatre Ayr (2026)
Twice Nightly
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dominic Goodwin writes and acts in this one- man play about the variety theatre of the heydays of the 1920’s through to the demise of many theatres in the late 50’s
The play starts in 1956 with second comedian Freddie “mine’s a half” Francis about to go on stage and perform his drunk comedy act.
He then takes us on a journey back in time through the legendary comics and acts that trod the boards of the variety halls and the war-torn fields of ENSA performances.
He recounts the stories of the legendary theatrical landladies, “the guest house has two toilets, downstairs is for solids". And the ominous” put the lid back on the chamber pot after use as the steam rusts the bed springs”.
Dominic obviously loves variety as he performs the well known jokes of Max Miller, will you pick the white or blue book? Norman Evans as the old woman, which must have influenced Les Dawson’s Cissy and Aida.
The play is peppered with old time songs, Mary from the Dairy, The Man Who broke the bank at Monte Carlo and Goodnight Sweetheart will have you swaying in your seat.
In amongst the fun and laughs, there is a tender story of a marriage gone wrong and the longing to meet a son he never knew.
This is a superbly nostalgic play of a time gone by, and totally unknown to anyone under the age of 60. However many of the great comedy talents do look back to these travelling minstrels for inspiration in their set. Even if the comics they are looking at came much later.
Dominic is a great performer with a glint in his eye he slips in and out of the characters with a change of jacket, hat or wig.
If I was to offer a suggestion, some entrance music of the period could be played. The audience came in to a quiet room and it was quite library-like.
If the roots of Stand-up comedy are of interest to you, turn off the TV, buy a ticket to this show and be taken back to the 1920’s, when Jimmy James, Rob Wilton, Max Miller, Norman Evans, Gracie Fields, Dan Leno were the kings of comedy.
Sailmaker Gaiety Theatre Review (2026)
In Sailmaker Alan Spence's semi-biographical play we meet Alec, Davie's son finding out his Mother has died. It now just the two of them in the crumbling old tenement flat with the glowing embers in the fire.
Davie has been made redundant from his job as a Sailmaker. The 60's downturn of the shipbuilding industry has impacted everyone's lives. He has became a tick man and now enjoys a wee hauf at the end of the day along with some visits to the local bookie which always end in disaster.
In contrast his brother Billy is a painter and decorator with his son Ian being Alec's great friend. Alec owns a toy boat battered with age but he loves it, his uncle Billy paints it for him in the Blue and White of Glasgow Rangers, unfortunately his dad never seems to find the time to repair and make a new Sail.
As the boys grow up and become teenagers Ian gets an apprenticeship with his Dad, and bookish Alec progresses with his studies with a view to get in to university.
The final scene has Davie and Alec living with no heating waiting for the tenement to be pulled down. In order to keep warm before his move to the newly formed estates they burn their old possessions. The old life is behind them and the new is opening up.
This beautiful play directed by Liz Carruthers captures a moment in time, but that time could be universal.
Andy Clark as Davie gives an impeccable performance of the man broken by the system. He once had dreams, he was well read with the works of Burns or Dickens not far from him. He is a good fair man dealt many bad blows.
Alexander Tait as Alec perfectly captures the boy growing up and becoming a man, he might not always agree with his dad but he loves him dearly.
Paul J Corrigan as Billy is great as the opposite of Davie he knows there is a need for Davie to get in to another trade and is happy to move to Aberdeen where the work is
Lewis Kerr plays Ian with great intuition he knows if he goes with his dad he can continue to work, yet he does miss his cousin when the move has happened.
Both Lewis and Alexander have to play the boys at various ages from young kids to university aged adults. They do this wonderfully without playing the boys by over - exaggerating the ages, the main change was shorts in to long trousers.
Liz Carruthers has brought this excellent play back to the stage flawlessly.
And while our situations may go up and drastically down, We haven't Died a Winter Yet
Co produced by The Gaiety and The Beacon Arts Centre
God of Carnage Review Ayr Gaiety Theatre (2026)
Yasmina Reza's play God of Carnage is set in a middle-class couples living room in Glasgow.
There are two couples both meeting to discuss the violent behaviour of their sons who got in to a fight in Kelvingrove Park one knocking the others teeth out.
The meeting of parents starts off civil, however becomes an evening of verbal swipes, caustic remarks and home truths. And that's before the whisky is opened as they get drunker the original point of the meeting is forgotten about and they become just as bad as children in the playground.
This is a four hander and all the cast cope extremely well for such a wordy play. Acting drunk is a difficult thing to do, often it's played stereotypically however to do it well it needs to be reigned in. Allowing outbursts to be caustic and biting. This cast under the direction of Scott Hutchison do it perfectly allowing the script to shine through.
It's actually quite a hilarious play, there is so much all the characters have pent up for so many years, all managing to vent in the space of 90 minutes. I only hope Saturdays audience realise there is as much comedy and laugh more!
There is one extremely funny and revolting scene that is so well played you can't but help to guffaw.
Well done Compass Club
Scots Review Ayr Gaiety Theatre (2026)
Scots, a musical celebration of Scotland from its beginning the formation of Alba and it's first king up to 2026 and free period products, we have came a long way.
All seen through the eyes of the one thing we all need The Toilet.
Tyler Collins gives a resounding performance as our porcelain friend, tying all of Scotland's achievements together in a whirlpool flush of time.
We are a wee nation but we have made our mark on the world with inventions including the CIA, American Navy oh and the Toaster!
Not just the men! Women have played a huge role too from discovering the planet Mercury to becoming the first female scientist in the World.
Scotland is fierce and proud, we encourage others, we are best when we are kind.
With a stellar ensemble cast including Richard Conlon, Katie Barnet, Jenny Clifford, Yana Harris, Laurence Smith, Connor Going, Isaac Savage and the inimitable Star Penders this was always going to be the best of productions.
Jemima Levick's brisk and inventive direction brings this epic story together in a coherent way that is a pleasure to watch.
Continues at The Gaiety tomorrow then tours Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen.
Medea Review Ayr Gaiety Theatre (2026)
Medea written by Kathy McKean after Euripides
In the week of National Woman's Day Medea is a strong, strong woman. Her Father and Brother both murdered by her actions to save her lover Jason ( of the Golden fleece fame). Only to be spurned by him for King Creon's princess daughter. She is to be banished from the area as Creon's daughter wants her and her sons gone.
The only way for her to put vengeance on Jason is to kill the princess, using a golden cloak sewn by sun light which burns the skin from her body. Then killing their sons, his lineage.
Nicole Cooper as Medea wonderfully captures the horror of her mind, the calmness and vengeful energy, of the woman scorned. This is one of the best performances I have seen of Medea.
Isabelle Joss as the nurse and somewhat narrator of the story provides the real horror of finding the children dead.
Johnny Panchaud excels as the cheating husband , brought to grief, not for his sons, very much for himself.
As Medea returns to the sun, we can't help but feel she was justified and it was her story!
Connor Burns Gallus Comedy Review Ayr Gaiety Theatre(2026)
There is something magical about a theatre full, every seat in the auditorium taken, every person there joining together to see the same act.
Tonight this happened at The Gaiety in Ayr to see Connor Burns perform his stand up show Gallus.
He had the rafters of the theatre rattling with his well timed and hilarious gags. If anything flew a bit close to the bone, his enormous charm and sheer Gallus-ness, kept the entire audience on side.
If there happens to be any odd tickets available for the rest of the run I'd encourage you to buy them, failing that get Edinburgh Fringe tickets as they are announced.