The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr, was built in 1902.

This was an era when there was much theatre-building in Great Britain and Ireland. Gaiety was a popular name, the most famous the trend-setting Gaiety Theatre in London's West End.

Of all the theatres from roughly that time bearing the name Gaiety only three remained to welcome the 21st. century -- the Gaiety, Dublin (built in 1871 with C. J. Phipps its architect), the Gaiety, Douglas, Isle of Man (designed by architect Frank Matcham in 1900 and built within the shell of the Pavilion of 1893), and the Gaiety, Ayr.

Ayr's Gaiety is small compared to its surviving siblings but it is noted for its listed interior rococo features, its wonderful atmosphere and its magnificent acoustics. And, while Ayr Gaiety has not played every star who has ever been, there have been sufficient of their number striding across its stage to rate this Gaiety as one of the most significant theatres in the British Isles and for its story to represent the history of popular theatre in 20th. century Britain.

The last Gaiety Theatre on the British mainland, it is part of the heritage of Britain and one of Scotland's treasures.

It can be argued that there is no other comparable provincial theatre which has remained open all year round, never closing its doors for any material length of time save for essential renovation, and which has offered an omnibus programme of attractions which were potentially box-office viable within the terms of its operation. Ayr Gaiety survived two devastating fires -- the first in 1903, less than a year after the theatre opened, and the second in 1955; battled successfully through two crises that killed off numerous theatres -- the arrival of sound films in the early 1930s, and the introduction of television twenty years later; and triumphed over a demolition threat in 1972 when property re-development was imminent.

The Gaiety is famed for Variety and indeed for a time during its purely commercial life played little else for the simple reason that during the period in question no other form of live stage entertainment had a prospect of breaking even financially. However, when possible the Gaiety has catered for as many interests as possible -- variety, pantomime, drama, opera, musicals, ballet, orchestra.

The Gaiety has always reflected the vogue in popular entertainment. Serving most immediately the county town of Ayrshire and its surrounding area, the Gaiety drew audiences from much farther afield.

For nearly half of its lifetime, from 1925 until 1973, Ayr Gaiety was controlled by the Popplewell family, and during this time because of the quality of its shows, particularly those produced in-house, it won a reputation by far outstripping its size, being regarded as a small Number One theatre. When it became civic property in 1973 these standards were maintained.

To illustrate its rich history here is a quick scan of attractions through the years, from:-

• Charles Coborn (The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo), in 1906, to Ken Dodd, the man who brought Happiness, in 1984.
• Jimmy James and Max Miller in Ten to One On in 1925 to Leslie Crowther and Bernie Winters in Bud 'n' Ches in 1982.
• Floradora pre-WWI to Bill Kenwright's fabulous production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat spanning the period from 1981 to the present day.
• Frank Benson and Martin Harvey and their companies, in dramas pre-'20s, to Sybil Thorndike and Lewis Casson in 1947, to Pat Phoenix and Alan Browning in the mid-'70s, to Michael Denison and Dulcie Gray in 1991.
• The J. W. Turner Grand English Opera Company in 1904 to Scottish Opera today.
• Stock dance companies to Scottish Ballet.
• Amac to Zee in an A to Z of magic.
• De Gracia's Wonderful Performing Elephants in 1907 to Mark Raffles' magical Wychwoods toy poodles in 1984, and from Marguerita's Forest-bred Lions in 1926 to Jack and Mary Kinson's magical mice in the '50s, and including the super speciality acts such as The Three Robert Brothers; The Ganjou Brothers and Juanita; Wilson, Keppel and Betty; Slim Rhyder; Coco; Noni; Tommy de Vel and Vera.
• The great piano entertainers like Turner Layton, Herschel Henlere, Leslie Hutchison, Charlie Kunz, Chester Harriott.
• The legendary international Scots -- Will Fyffe, Sir Harry Lauder, Andy Stewart.
• The famous Scottish comedians, such as Dave Willis, Harry Gordon, Jack Anthony, Jack Radcliffe, Alec Finlay, Lex McLean, Jimmy Logan, Johnny Beattie, Don Arrol, Jack Milroy, Rikki Fulton, Stanley Baxter, Billy Rusk, Andy Cameron.
• The famous singers -- Robert Wilson, Kenneth McKellar, Moira Anderson, Frankie Vaughan, Ruby Murray, Ronnie Hilton, Helen Shapiro.
• The jazz legends -- Stephane Grappelli, Adelaide Hall, Martin Taylor.
• Pantomimes.
• And, most stunningly, from 1930 onwards, the fabulous series of summer shows, mainly revues entitled Gaiety Whirl.