PACE Theatre Company facts for kids

PACE Theatre Company is a special non-profit theatre company located in Paisley, Scotland. It was started in 1988 by David Wallace. PACE does many things, including putting on professional plays and educational shows for schools. It also has the PACE Youth Theatre, which is a big part of the company. Plus, there's PACE Casting, an agency that helps young actors from the Youth Theatre find roles, and PACE Media Productions, which makes educational videos.

In 2017, there were some changes in the company's leadership. In 2018, Jenni Mason became the Artistic Director and Grant Mason became the Chief Executive. Later that year, PACE updated its look and changed how its youth theatre classes worked.

Many famous actors and musicians were once part of PACE when they were younger. These include Richard Madden, Paolo Nutini, James McAvoy, James McArdle, and David Sneddon.

Pantomime Fun

PACE Theatre Company has been putting on the annual pantomime show at Paisley Arts Centre since 1988. A pantomime is a type of musical comedy stage show, popular especially at Christmas and New Year, which often retells a fairy tale. For many years, David Wallace wrote and directed the panto, and also acted in it with Alan Orr. In 2016, David Wallace stepped away from the annual pantomime after 29 years. Older members of PACE Youth Theatre still perform as the chorus in these shows.

In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, PACE moved their pantomime online. They created a show called Lost in Pantoland, which was performed over YouTube and Zoom. It starred Chris Alexander, Alan Orr, Darren Brownlee, and Dani Heron.

PACE Youth Theatre

PACE Youth Theatre is a big part of PACE Theatre Company. It has been running since 1988 and was started by David Wallace. Today, it is based at Spires Drama Studios in Paisley. It used to be called Paisley Youth Theatre when it was at Paisley Arts Centre. Currently, PACE Youth Theatre has almost 3000 young members!

Fest! Events

Fest! is a series of exciting events that PACE runs during school holidays. Children and young people, from ages 3 to 21, can spend a week creating a show. These shows are often based on popular movies, plays, or musical theatre productions. Past shows have included Encanto and High School Musical. At the end of the week, families are invited to watch the young performers on a professional stage. PACE also offers special grants to help children from families who might not be able to afford the workshops, making sure everyone has a chance to take part.

Sma Shot Celebration

Every year, PACE performs a special show called "Sma Shot". This show tells the story of a historical event from the 1800s in Paisley. It's about a disagreement between the weavers (who made cloth) and their employers, known as the Corks. The weavers fought for fair pay for their work. Members of PACE Youth Theatre perform this show every year on the first Saturday of July.

Famous Former Students

Many talented people who are now well-known in entertainment started their journey at PACE.

• Amy Conachan
• Kevin Guthrie, actor
• Shauna Macdonald, actress
• Richard Madden, actor
• James McArdle, actor
• James McAvoy, actor
• Paolo Nutini, musician
• Scott Reid
• Mark Rowley, actor
• David Sneddon, singer-songwriter