Mother Goose : And finally ............

..... our biggest star .....

The Garrison Theatre

Director and Producer Jennie Atkinson made an impassioned plea at the final show of Mother Goose

It is hard to believe that after all the months of hard work we are now at the final curtain. It has been wonderful to have entertained over 2,700 people across all generations and from every corner of Shetland over the last two weeks. Every performance has been a sell out and we can certainly measure everyone’s enjoyment and appreciation in terms of their laughter, participation and applause.

But tomorrow when we pack everything up and leave, it will be with a heavy heart as the future of this wonderful theatre is in question.

Islesburgh Drama Group have been performing in the Garrison Theatre for 66 years.  However, this is not just a building which allows us, and other  groups within Shetland, to perform to a Shetland-wide public, but one which has a long history. It is beautifully complete with a wonderful stage, wings, backstage area and dressing rooms and is a most valuable resource for the whole of Shetland.  

If theatrical drama is to continue here in Shetland it will be extremely difficult to do so without a proscenium arch theatre. There is no other venue in Shetland which offers proper wing and backstage space which would have allowed us to present the pantomime you have seen tonight. 

Currently we are part of the working group comprising regular users of the Garrison,  The Shetland Charitable Trust who own the theatre and Shetland Arts who manage it.  The purpose of the group is to explore options for the future of the theatre.  We love this Theatre with a passion and we sincerely hope that the situation does not arise that we have to fight for its survival.  But if we do, we hope that we can count on the support of  everyone here tonight and everyone who has enjoyed and appreciated this and all our productions over the years. 

To lose this jewel would be a tragedy, not just for us, but for future generations and for the future of live theatre in Shetland. 

Thank you so much for your continued support.

And we will leave you with the final word from Mother Goose

"I want to tell you about my favourite bra ...... 

it's old, full of entertainment and with a bit of TLC .... I hope it will last forever. 

It's my Garrison Theatre bra."