PICTURE 1: “THE successful Kayos Theatre, led at the time by Mark Barclay, put on many great productions in the Guild and it was always a pleasure to photograph them in rehearsal. 
“Kayos is still very much in business today and their shows can still be seen at Beacon Arts. The group’s upcoming Guys and Dolls, to be staged during October this year, will mark their 25th anniversary.”

PICTURE 2: “The Arts Guild was a place where people of all ages could find a way to express themselves, and this picture shows one theatre project for children which was set up to fill the long school holidays.
 “Phurious Productions, a theatre group which provided kids with a basic framework on which to build their own show, gave these young thespians a chance to stage a fantastically atmospheric production of Titanic, an ‘epic tale of shipwreck and survival,’ and I hoped at the time that this picture would get some of the feeling of the show across to the readers of the Tele.”

PICTURE 3: “ANOTHER Greenock Players picture, and one which I set up to break up the stage action shots I took for a picture spread. 
“It was always fun being below stage in the corridors which led from the dressing rooms to the glare of the stage lights and the cheering crowd. 
“These three characters helped me put this fun picture together after they had applied their makeup, and it provided the central piece for the picture special on their production of Every Woman Knows.”

PICTURE 4: “AS the 65-year-old Arts Guild closed its doors for the last time in January 2013, I was lucky to see the old theatre before director Brian Gavin turned the key in the lock for the last time. It was a very sad experience to view the now deserted auditorium, bereft of its comfy velvet seats and cosy atmosphere. It was indeed the end of an era, but an end that promised a new beginning with the building of the Beacon, and the Albany venues which have met with great success in bringing the arts to Inverlclyde.”

PICTURE 5: “THIS picture, taken in 1996, shows one of the great performers who often took part in the hugely popular Greenock Players pantos. 
“Garry Brindley always knew how to make a fun picture, even when relaxing back-stage with a cuppa. I liked the fact he was wearing heavy boots to create the contrast and confusion of mixed genders and comedy which makes pantomime so special and I capitalised on them for this shot.”