SPECIAL guests attended the official launch of ‘Back To The Gaiety’ heritage project on Thursday.

Over the past 18 months the team have been digitising unseen archives housed at Ayrshire Archives as well as the contributions from the Gaiety Community. 

For the first-time in its history a proportion of The Gaiety’s archive will be available at the touch of a button and accessible to all. 

On May 17 there was a drinks reception with entertainment and stories from folk and jazz musician Alastair McDonald who has performed at the iconic theatre on many occasions. 

Last Thursday, Alistair performed a collection of songs including The massacre of Glencoe, Glasgow Cat, and The Wee Kirkcudbright Centipede. 

Alistair said: “It is an honour to be here. I came into the theatre in a different way from others. If someone was successful they got into the theatre as they had a career in TV and radio.

“I was different. I was in a jazz band, I was a man with a banjo. As a result I was able to appear on TV working with Jimmy Shand and Jim Johnston. They got me into the theatre.

“I believe there is a difference between singers and performers. I perform so I can tell a story. They say that being entertaining is worse than being academic. 

“Nobody writes a song and wants to die unknown.”

To celebrate its beginning, a Back To The Gaiety exhibition, will take place at Rozelle House from Friday, May 18 until Sunday, June 17.

Visitors will be able to view original items from the Gaiety archive and from private collectors. 

Jeremy Wyatt, Chief Executive of the Gaiety, said: “This is about capturing the history of the Gaiety and to get people involved in different ways. 

“We want to see how the Gaiety has touched the lives of many and how it has been able to continue to do so. 

“Alice and colleagues have been at the Ayrshire Archives and have taken a small proportion of that and put it online. We have been working with people in care homes to set up memory boxes.

“There is an exhibition at Rozelle and there will be more from time to time. 

“I want to thank one person in particular - Alex Singerman who was very closely involved in the digital side and was sadly and cruelly taken from us just one year ago due to illness.

“Alex was so upbeat and would want us to be upbeat to. 

“This is something we have had funding from the Historic Lottery Fund and have established a partnership with South Ayrshire Council. 

“We are really pleased there is significant representation from South Ayrshire Council here tonight.

“The archives will be available to look at 24/7 should you wish to look them up at 3am. Some of them date back to the 1930s.” 

To view the Gaiety archives or to get involved visit https://thegaiety.co.uk/back-to-the-gaiety/