East Kilbride Rep Timeline

Some key moments in the history of East Kilbride Rep

  • 1954 (November) - Club founded by John McNicol.

  • 1955 (March) - Our first production, Bachelors are Bold, produced by John McNicol was staged in the Murray School.

  • 1956 (October) - Plans are announced in the East Kilbride News to do 5 plays this winter.  Venue changed to the Public Hall (later to be converted to the Village Theatre).

  • 1956 (November) - Betty Milne's debut performance in This Was a Woman by Joan Morgan.

  • 1957 - At the AGM it was decided to run the season from October to May and the plan was to increase the number of productions to six.  The cost of membership was 5/- for full membership and 2/6 for associate membership.

  • 1958 - From Season 1958/59 the Rep would stage full seven full length plays and run for four nights.  The Rep now had 150 members.

  • 1958/59 - Alf Davidson, who later instigated the One Act Festival, joins the club.

  • 1959 (January) - Rep "Hut" purchased from Linlithgow Pigeon Club for £60.

  • 1959 - The Rep stages it's 21st production, Reluctant Debutante.  Patron membership cost 2/6 per annum with admission to each show at the reduced cost of 1/6 (normally 2/6) plus entry into a draw for a £1 Premium Bond.

  • 1960 (Feb/March) - Rep "Hut" fully reconstrucetd behind Village Public Hall, now the site of the Village Theatre.

  • 1960 - Frank McGinn supervised the installation in the Public Hall of curtains purchased from the old Imperial Cinema in Glasgow and a new lighting system.  The first annual Rep Ball is held.

  • 1966 (January) - First Rep Pantomime, Dick Whittington, produced by Betty Milne and staged in the Murray Hall.

  • 1968 - Johnnie Jouk The Gibbet performed as part of East Kilbride new Town's 21st birthday celebrations.

  • 1968 (December) - Little Red Riding Hood, a pantomime by Jim Wardhaugh and Betty Milne was performed in Halfmerke Primary School.

  • 1969 - The first club newsletter appeared.

  • 1970 - Former gas works premises rented for set building.

  • 1970 (March) - First mention of Council plans to convert Public Hall into a theatre.

  • 1974 - Club's productions presented in Claremont High School while Public Hall conversion takes place.

  • 1976 (June) - Three back-cloths purchased from Mutries theatrical suppliers of Edinburgh.

  • 1977 (November) - The Rep performs a one act play to demonstrate the new stage facilities at the Village Theatre to the local Councillors.

  • 1977 (December) - Very first public performance in the new Village Theatre is EK Rep's pantomime, Sleeping Beauty.

  • 1978 (September) - Following a full season the Village Theatre is officially opened by well known Scottish actor of stage and screen Andrew Cruikshank, best known as Dr. Cameron of TV's Dr. Finlay's Casebook.

  • 1982 (September) - The club presented The Long and The Short and The Tall.  The cast included a young John Hannah and "Taggart" star James Macpherson prior to their studying at drama school.

  • 1984 (May) - The One Act Festival is inaugurated under the guidance of Alf Davidson.

  • 1995 (March) - The Rep's "Hut" is demolished to make way for brand new premises.

  • 1995 (May) - Foundations laid for the Rep's brand new club building.

  • 1996 (September) - Following completion of interior fittings, the club occupied their new premises for the first time.  The new building is still affectionately known as "The Hut".

  • 1997 - The Rep give away hundreds of free season tickets to lucky readers of the East Kilbride News.

  • 1997 (May) - A new One Act Festival trophy was presented by the club in memory of a long-standing member, Betty McAulay.

  • 1998 (December) - The annual Rep pantomime is in danger of cancellation due to flooding of the understage are of the theatre. No performances were lost thanks to the Fire Brigade pumps!

  • 2000 - "EK Rep ONLINE", the Rep's very own website is launched and comes out top in an Evening Times review of panto web pages.

  • 2001 - The club's website, EK Rep ONLINE, is relaunched to coincide with the new Rep season.

  • 2003 (September) - The Rep participates in the Village Theatre's 25th anniversary celebrations.

  • 2003 (December) - The deaths of the Rep's founder, John McNicol and One Act Festival instigator, Alf Davidson are announced.

  • 2004 (September) - East Kilbride Rep Theatre Club's 50th anniversary season gets underway.

  • 2004 (December) - The club presents it's 40th pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk.

  • 2005 (May) - 21st anniversary of the One Act Festival.
  • 2006 (August) - Another new look to the club's very own website as EK Rep ONLINE is relaunched.