Falkirk district stage stars to perform in The Music Man theatre production

Cameron Leask, from Muiravonside, and Holly Steel, of Falkirk, are part of a Runway Theatre Company cast performing The Music Man at Eastwood Park Theatre in Giffnock until this Saturday.

When Harold Hill, a traveling con man, arrives in River City, he convinces the locals to start a band by purchasing uniforms and instruments from him. However, his intention is to flee as soon as he receives the money.

Less well known in this country, it is a staple of professional, community and school theatrical productions across the USA, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, while running on Broadway for 1375 performances. The cast album from The Music Man won the first Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album and spent 245 weeks on the Billboard charts.

Cameron is set to call on his past experience of barber shop singing with the Rolling Hills Chorus and roles with Linlithgow Amateur Musical Productions and The Barony Players in Bo’ness to play the part of Oliver in Runway Theatre Company’s performance.

Explaining his fondness for the production, he said: “The Music Man is a show I’ve always loved and the opportunity came up so I auditioned and got the gig!

“I’ve done some barber shop singing in the past. I’ve done it since I was at school many years ago and I’ve picked it up again in later life.

“The rehearsals have been going really well and the dress rehearsal was looking splendid. Everybody in the cast is looking forward to it.

“It’s not a show everybody has seen or heard of so it’s great to be bringing it back to the stage.”

Cameron will be joined on stage by fellow Falkirk district theatre performaer Holly, who plays Zaneeta Shinn and is a Dance School of Scotland and McKechnie School of Performing Arts graduate.

Involved in amateur and professional productions since the age of three, this is Holly’s seventh show with Runway Theatre Company, having previously starred as Fairy Twinkle in Jack and the Beanstock, Bambi in Curtains and Slave of the Ring in Aladdin.

The Music Man fits neatly into the company’s policy of presenting new or rarely performed shows to their audiences.

And, since deciding to put on the production, its member have been left thrilled to learn Hugh Jackman is to star as leading man Harold Hill in a major new production of The Music Man on Broadway next year.

Runway Theatre Company, which was originally the Glasgow Airport Drama Club, has produced a spring musical each year since 2010, including The Drowsy Chaperone and Lend Me A Tenor.

For tickets to The Music Man, visit www.runwaytheatre.co.uk or call 07801048527.