Enthusiastic Burnsians have taken the plunge and helped make a world’s first for the Big Burns Supper festival in Dumfries a sell out.
Blending tradition with a splash of innovation, all places on the Underwater Burns Supper experience have been snapped up ahead of the January 23 to 25 daytime sessions in the pool at Dumfries and Galloway‘s DG One Leisure Centre.
The stroke of genius by the BBS team will see those who have paid £22.50 get to don their bathing costumes or kilts, pull on a set of headphones and then hit the pool to listen to an abridged version of a traditional Burns Supper, soaking up a specially curated mixtape made by 10 artists from across Dumfries and Galloway.
This show, with challenges to complete, is for 16+ only, with those who’ve booked having to be strong swimmer able to complete laps of the pool. It was demonstrated by “mermaid” Jordan Chisholm and Daryl Wilson this week.
The reward at the end, and out of the pool, is a Burns Supper hamper.
Graham Main, executive producer and founder of Big Burns Supper – which returns this month after a year’s hiatus – said it was “a theatre show” and has brought together professional performers “to deliver a dining experience that promises to be like no other” – keeping the festival on top for innovation.
He said: “We are excited to bring something so original and daring to Big Burns Supper. The Underwater Burns Supper really reflects the festival’s spirit of curiosity and fun while honouring Scotland’s national poet in a way he would surely have enjoyed – by breaking all the rules.
“We wanted to do something diverse and different for Burns Night and the idea really was how far could we take it?”
He has also thanked the staff at DG One Leisure Centre for their support, with its manager, Stuart McColm, unfazed by the quirky request to stage it there.
Stuart said: “We try our best to partner with organisations in the region and to help promote whatever is happening across Dumfries and Galloway.”
More than 150 events are being held for BBS with most happening over three weekends this month, offering a mixture of cabaret, comedy, music and entertainment in more than 30 different venues. The highlight will be Burns Night on January 25 – including Burns Night Live, which is streamed live to the world with 500,000 tuning in – and, for this year, the Dumfries Carnival which is being billed as “one of Scotland’s largest community events”.