LIVE entertainment could be moved from the theatre to the football field under ambitious plans to beat the coronavirus pandemic.

The Barrfields Users Group (BUG) is spearheading a proposal to switch shows from its theatre to the neighbouring football stadium, which is home to Largs Thistle.

The people behind the move believe it could inject new life into the ailing venue by unlocking funding opportunities to revamp the ground.

Councillor Alan Hill, who is chairman of BUG, believes the plan could create a new outdoor performance space while the dilapidated stadium roof and stand could also be overhauled.

He said: "The proposal is to make Barrfields Park more community-friendly in terms of not just football but providing some form of live outdoor entertainment.

"It has the knock on effect of benefitting the football stadium too as we hope to then be able to access funding which could help improve the old stand.

"We are looking at having a roll-on, roll-off theatre stage to create a small outdoor performance space on wheels in which could have professional sound and lighting while not damaging the pitch.

"It is a great space outside and it means we could have concerts and live shows when restrictions ease. Outdoor venues are certainly going to be in demand as we move out of the pandemic.

"We are looking at rough costs at the moment but we are hopeful of making this a reality."

Barrfields Park opened in 1930 and as well as primarily being used as a football stadium, was once the main venue in the town for events such as The Brisbane Queen crowning, galas, athletics meets and even boxing bouts.

Alan says hopes to recreate the magic of outdoor theatre and live music which you would normally find in open spaces in London.

He continued: "We have had a couple of initial meetings and it is looking promising. "It could be a real winner. People could come along and bring their picnics and enjoy whatever live entertainment is on offer, or perhaps Largs Thistle would like to provide catering.

"No matter what happens as we come out of the pandemic, a lot of people may feel uncomfortable about going into indoor venues with large groups for a gig or a live theatre event. We could have live performances from the likes of the Largs Folk Club and bring the fun outdoors."

Ryan Moir, who runs the successful McDougall's children entertainment show, is also enthusiastic about the idea. He has held a number of digital events with the McDougalls online to keep youngsters entertained but says the plans could allow them to perform live again.

The Barrfields Users Group is also pushing on with improvements to its indoor theatre within the Vikingar! after receiving £4,000 from the Largs Common Good Fund.

Alan added: "We wanted to make Barrfields feel more like a comedy club venue so we have hired curtains which will provide a more comfortable setting and will make the whole set more adaptable. Part of the problem is that the theatre is this big vast space and we wanted to have the opportunity to make it feel more intimate so it is like a real comedy club."