Kilmarnock production looks set to hit Glasgow
Pylon is about Shortlees in the 90s and the tales that the electricity structures caused cancer in the community
A year after its debut, a Kilmarnock group are taking their production to the Mitchell Theatre in Glasgow.
Pylon, was the brainchild of Graeme Cameron, who grew up in the Shortlees area and wanted to tell the story of people who contracted cancer in the 90s. It was widely attributed to the pylons which were near the houses.
So, Graeme and his friend Paul Montgomery decided to write, what they thought would be a musical telling the story through the eyes of David McFarlane - played by Paul. It also tells the story of the people behind the news stories.
At the time of the original show in March 2017 the pair told us how Pylon had come to life.
The production received rave reviews when they put their shows on in the Palace Theatre in Kilmarnock and now they want to test it with a Glasgow audience at the Mitchell Theatre.
Graeme told us why they wanted to branch out: 'The people in the play we talk about, these people exist in every class. It's all about people who are looking out for each other. Family members, friends...it's about community. So these are universal themes. I believe it's going to work in Glasgow. It might even connect to Glasgow more because it is such a working class environment.'
He also said people shouldn't be worried that the subject matter, cancer, is morbid: 'The play touches on cancer which is such a sensitive subject, but it's ok to talk about the people you've lost or those who are struggling. You leave there and it's uplifting because you remember those folk and you remember what they meant to you.'
The production will take place on the 15th September at the Mitchell Theatre and Graeme is encouraging everyone to come see it: 'It's such a hard thing to get people to come out of their house and pay their money for people like us who don't have any background in theatre or don't have a name. But I can promise you take a wee chance on Pylon, you'll be surprised. Look at what normal guys have created. I think we've got something special.
'If you are a typical theatre goer come and see it - you are never going to see anything like it. But also for the first timer - come see it. It's not a musical - it's a new way of looking at theatre.'