STEWARTON Drama Group will open their 46th season of drama on Wednesday, August 8 with an open evening aimed at recruiting potential new members and new patrons.

The club is always keen to meet people in the local area who are interested in any aspect of drama or theatre arts and the Open Evening will be a perfect opportunity for people to come along and find out more.

The evening will also feature a surprise performance which the Group are calling ‘From Page……To Stage’ to entertain everyone on the night. The group meet on Wednesday evenings in their own premises, complete with a fully functional stage, rehearsal room, costume store, kitchen and lounge, in the Scout Building, Corsehillbank Street, beside the Tennis Courts in Stewarton.

Productions are cast by all interested group members reading a section of the play script at a casting evening, so that the director can select the right actors and actresses for the parts.

The group then get to work on the technical side of the production where there is always plenty to do building the scenery, designing and painting the set, collecting or making the props, preparing the lighting and sound plans, and choosing the right costumes, music and stage make-up.

Season 2017-18 was a tremendous success for the group.

The season opened with an informal open evening in August when a rehearsed reading of a short play was performed for the enjoyment of all those attending.

The murder mystery comedy thriller ‘A Tomb with a View’ was the group’s major public performance last year which played to packed houses in the Stewarton Area Centre in October.

Later in the season the group performed three memorable Irish one-act plays (‘A Galway Girl’, ‘Losers’ and ‘Small Box Psychosis’) which delighted audiences in February. In addition to this, the group performed two further “in-house” productions in their own Premises in December and May for the enjoyment of their loyal Patrons and friends.

And the group’s trophy cabinet is now proudly displaying two new pieces of silverware, following on from their recent success at a drama festival in The East Kilbride Village Theatre in May with their production of ‘A Galway Girl’.

The play was placed third overall at the conclusion of the week-long festival, and Nancy McPherson, who performed in the play, was awarded the prestigious trophy for Best Actress in the festival.

If all of that encourages you to find out more about getting involved next season, the group are inviting anyone, over the age of 18, interested in local theatre to drop into their premises in the town’s Corsehillbank Street on Wednesday, August 8 from 7.30pm.

This will be a great chance to come along, see round the premises and have a chat with existing members. You will also have the opportunity to find out more about the group’s planned productions for the new drama season 2018-19 and how you might get involved.

Alternatively, for only £30 a year you can become a patron of the award-winning group and receive two tickets for each of their annual shows in the Stewarton Area Centre as well as a complimentary copy of the group’s monthly newsletter ‘Cuelines’ and invitations to any in-house ‘Patrons Evenings’ that the group perform within their own premises.

Drama Group President, Walter Findlay said: “We’d love to meet you if you are interested in any aspect of drama – whether you fancy treading the boards, helping out backstage, building scenery, working on lights and sound, making props or costumes, or simply supporting the group by becoming a patron – please come along and meet us on Wednesday August 8.

“If you’d like more information please email us at stewartondramagroup@hotmail.co.uk or log onto our website www.stewarton-drama-group.co.uk or follow us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/ stewartondramagroup.”