BY Jack Thomson

The show will go on for Clydebank Musical Society (CMS) after West Dunbartonshire Council agreed to help relieve the financial pressures facing the group.

The organisation had warned they faced folding because of a hike in Clydebank Town Hall’s hire fees from £3,100 to £9,600 per show, prompting more than 2,000 people to sign a petition in protest.

However, after a heated debate at last Wednesday’s full council meeting and a meeting between elected members, officers and the society on Thursday, a method of relieving the financial burden was established.

One of the biggest costs of putting on a show is CMS’s need to hire sound and lighting equipment, which accounts for almost £4,000 of the group’s costs for putting on a show.

The council has agreed to cover costs for sound and lighting hire for CMS’s junior show in October, while promising to investigate funding options to support local theatre groups.

Christine Long, the chair of CMS, said: “We at CMS are very pleased that an agreement has been reached that will allow us to produce our junior show this October as planned.

“We are also delighted that the council has promised to upgrade the sound and lighting available in the town hall, as this will be a positive outcome for every local group that uses the space.

“Our club is extremely important to us, and the people of West Dunbartonshire, and we thank everyone who showed their support in signing and sharing our petition.

“We are grateful that the council is willing to work with us to ensure that the show does go on.”

Councillor Jonathan McColl, leader of the council, said: “I said in the press that the show would go on and I’m delighted that I have been proven right.

“Constructive discussions are always more helpful than party politicking. It should always be about the services and our constituents.

“I would ask other councillors to take the recess to have a good hard think about the needless upset that is caused by unconstructive and often damaging political amateur dramatics.

“Let’s all leave the theatrics to CMS, they have a higher production quality than we do.”

The agreement comes after Labour councillor Douglas McAllister put forward an emergency motion at Wednesday’s council meeting, urging the administration to reintroduce the grant fund of £20,000 to allow local AmDram groups to be provided with 50 per cent support to booking costs.

However, Bailie Denis Agnew’s amendment – stating no action should be taken until the council had met with CMS on Thursday – was carried after receiving 11 votes to nine.

That prompted a backlash from Labour councillors, with Councillor Daniel Lennie accusing the SNP administration of taking CMS “into a room to shut them down there” and “stabbing them in the back”.

Baillie Denis Agnew refuted claims that the council was taking the town hall out of the hands of the community.

He said: “The bottom line here is the town hall is certainly a town hall. It’s a civic building for the use of everybody.

“That includes Clydebank Musical Society or any amateur group or any other organisation in our community.”