BEACON Arts Centre, Greenock, has unveiled a packed programme of shows for the first half of the year.
There will be a busy line-up of theatre, comedy and music including a wide range of fun and educational shows.
These include Puppet Spectacular Glow Show, a one-hour UV puppet show, which comes to the Beacon in February; physical comedy Splat! which takes the audiences on a fun-filled journey through art history that is fully accessible for deaf audiences; and stage adaptations of much-loved children’s stories from Julia Donaldson, Quentin Blake and Nick Sharratt.
There is also the chance to catch the London Science Museum’s live stage show designed to spark young minds, in April, and take a fun-filled trip back in time with Dinosaur Adventure.
Music fans have a huge choice of performances to enjoy. The celebrated Beacon Jazz Club returns on 29 March, with appearances by the acclaimed Dave Bristow Quintet, while the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland highlights the next generation of talent with their afternoon concert series every month between February and May.
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra showcase Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony in February. Fife singer-songwriter King Creosote brings signature synth classics to fans in May, and ‘Walking in the Air’ star Aled Jones will share secrets and stories from a lifetime on the stage in his one-man show Full Circle. Indie Inverclyde also returns, with the best new unsigned bands and local talent.
The Beacon is renowned for its co-productions with leading theatre companies and hosting touring shows from Scotland’s national arts companies.
Audiences can look forward to The Testament of Gideon Mack, a touring funded production from Dogstar Theatre, which comes to the Beacon on Wednesday 5 March. Featuring an ensemble cast of eight actors, the show is adapted for the stage by Matthew Zajac and is an exploration of small-town Scotland with a supernatural twist.
Chef, by Sabrina Mahfouz and presented by the Gaiety theatre company, explores the gripping story of how one woman went from being a haute-cuisine head chef to a convicted criminal running a prison kitchen. The show originally premiered at the Edinburgh festival in 2014 and won multiple awards.
The Constant Storm is a new work by theatre-maker Jen Kelly, exploring feminine stereotypes in a thought-provoking way.
BBC Writersroom finalist Remi Rachuba brings his moving show Intruder/Intruz to the stage in March, telling the story of an actor moving to Scotland from Poland, exploring themes of acceptance and forgiveness.
Lorenzo Theatre’s Cracked Tiles and Saffy Setohy and BOW Collective’s Bodies of Water complete a powerful line-up of exhilarating and challenging new theatre.
Comedy afficionados can look forward to splitting their sides in the company of Gavin Mitchell, Gary Faulds, Dee Maxwell and The Scottish Comedians. BBC The Traitors star Diane Carson is set to thrill fans with Mothers of the Brides, a three-handed sketch comedy promising a hilarious look at the travails of weddings.
There is the chance to get a first-hand insight into frontline politics with former SNP MP Mhairi Black. She comes to the Beacon in May with her one-woman show, Politics Isn’t For Me, following a sold-out run at the Edinburgh festival.
Lesley Davidson, co-director of the Beacon Arts Centre, said: “We are excited to unveil our packed programme of drama, comedy and music for the first half of 2025.
“Young people and families are at the heart of everything the Beacon does, and we are proud of our wide range of fun, informative and adventurous shows for all ages that we hope will ignite a lifelong love of the arts.
“These varied offerings really capture our ‘something for everyone’ approach and everyone will be able to find something to suit their taste at the Beacon.
“The Beacon’s mission is to make a lasting impact and ‘light up lives’ by giving as many people as possible the opportunity to engage with the arts in an enjoyable and meaningful way.
“With everything from classes and exhibitions, to comedy and thought-provoking theatre, Beacon is opening doors to the magic of the arts for all.”
