subject: The Theatre in Dumfries [print this page] The Theatre in Dumfries The Theatre in Dumfries
Dumfries was given its nickname 'Queen of the South' from David Dunbar, a local poet,who in 1857 partook in the general election. In one of his rallys he called Dumfries "Queen of the South" and this became Inseparable with the village.
Folk from Dumfries are cried the Doonhamers. This is a factor of when in regions in Scotland further north (the majority of places as Dumfries is near the south coast of Scotland) punters would refer to Dumfries as 'Doon hame'; 'Doon hame' being Slang for 'Down home'.
The Doonhamers is also the moniker of Queen of the South representing Dumfries and the surrounding area in the SPL.
The crest of Dumfries and Galloway Classifieds makes a feature of the words, "A Lore Burne". In the history of Dumfries right next to the area was the mass of soggy ground through which ran the Loreburn signal to take arms in times of attack - A Lore Burne
The theatre is was purchased by the Guild of Players who purchased it in 1959, thereby saving it from destruction, and is run on a no cash basis by the members of the Guild of Players. It is finaced entirely by Guild membership subscriptions, and by box office takings. It does not at the moment receive any grant aid towards running costs.
In recent times the theatre has had a new roof constructed and the outer walls refurbished. It is the location for the Guild of Players' own strip shows and for performances from travelling comedians. These include: Scottish Opera, TAG, the Borderline and 7:84.
There are two cinemas in Dumfries. The Odeon screens typicallyun-daring movies. The Robert Burns Centre displays }un-daring productions and also independent films
Like the rest of Dumfries Classifieds and Galloway, of Scotland's three crucial geographical areas Dumfries lies in the Southern Uplands.
Scotland's seventh longest bit of water at 71 miles (114 km) in length, the Nith, runs through Dumfries in the direction of the Solway Firth in a southwards direction dividing the township into East and West. There are many bridges across the bit of water within the township. In between the Devorgilla (also known as 'The Old Bridge') and the suspension water crossing device is a weir colloquially known as 'The Caul'. In very wet months of the year the Nith can make wet the surrounding streets.
