SPECULATION that this year’s show by the Angus Minstrels—formerly the Angus Black and White Minstrels—might not be going ahead as planned was confirmed yesterday.

This year’s show was to be staged at the Reid Hall in Forfar in November with the group’s “home” venue in Arbroath, the Webster Theatre, due to close soon for major refurbishment.

However the management committee has now reluctantly concluded the site is not suitable.

Spokeswoman Joan Mitchell said yesterday, “The Reid Hall had been pencilled in for a run in November but after the producers went to Forfar to have a proper look at the facilities they decided it just wasn’t going to be possible.

“The stage is too small and too high and, unlike the Webster Theatre, everything else is on the flat and we also found out that the scenery moving equipment was far below the standard that we would require to put on our kind of show properly.

“It was only when we looked at the alternatives locally that we realised what an excellent facility the Webster Theatre is and we can only hope that, once the refurbishment work is completed, we once again have a venue we can be proud of.

“It is a great shame that we, and our regular audiences, will miss out this year and probably in 2007 as well, but what we are looking into now is starting rehearsals next year for a large-scale comeback show after the Webster re-opens in 2008.”

Ms Mitchell continued, “In order to keep ourselves busy, and also to keep the Minstrels in the public eye during the Webster Theatre closure, we are also looking at putting on a number of smaller concerts during the coming two years, with the Arbroath Academy theatre being one of our options for that.

“One of the problems I now have to sort out is that I have already taken more than 40 block bookings for this year’s show, so I will now have to get in touch with all these people and give them the bad news that there isn’t going to be a show after all.

“The group has been staging its shows since 1960 and we are all determined that we are going to continue to provide the type of entertainment we know there is a demand for.”

She said upgrades at the theatre have meant gaps in the club’s history before.

She added, “I would like to assure all our many supporters that, no matter what happens over the next year or two, the Angus Minstrels will be carrying on and we look forward to taking to the stage of the Webster Theatre again when the work is completed.”