Heather setto perform inplay

West Lothian actor and musician graduate, Heather Gourdie, will make her return to West Lothian in a new original musical in Fauldhouse in April.

Townsend Theatre Productions play ‘Yes! Yes! U.C.S!’ is set in Glasgow during Upper Clyde Shipbuilders infamous ‘workin’ in the early 70s.

The stage show, which is advertised as a celebration of community solidarity and collective resistance, will be held in St John the Baptist Chapel Hall on April 22.

Heather Gourdie (23) from Bathgate spoke about coming back to West Lothian for the show.

She said: “I love West Lothian, I owe so much to the community in and around Bathgate - it’s really a great place for the arts. My town gave me so many opportunities as a budding artist, so I’m incredibly excited to go back and show- everyone what those opportunities have made of me. I have to thank Townsend Productions as well, their focus on hiring recent graduates during such a difficult time for the arts postcovid means a lot to me.”

‘Yes! Yes! UCS!’ follows Heather as Geraldine - one of five per cent of women working in the Clyde shipbuilding industry - as she navigates the strike set to live rock and folk music.

Produced by Townsend Theatre Productions and written by Neil Gore, the musical takes inspiration from the strikes by interviewing former shipbuilders from UCS.

The former Bathgate Academy student will take on her debut role as Geraldine after graduating from Rose Bruford College in London earlier this year.

She added: “A theme in the show is definitely community - which I feel is something that is prominent in West Lothian. West Lothian is a really tight-knit community, so I feel the content of the play will be particularly poignant for locals.”