We had an exclusive chat with Ava Hickey, the protagonist of The Kelton Hill Fair, a new production by Wonder Fools. Written by Robbie Gordon and Jack Nurse, The Kelton Hill Fair tells the gripping story of Flora, a teenager from Castle Douglas who runs away and stumbles upon a mysterious fair run by the legendary Billy Marshall ‘The King of the Travellers’ and a place where time stands still. Ava recently graduated from the BA Acting course at The Royal Conservatoire Scotland. She has worked for The National Theatre of Scotland, Perth Theatre, Wonder Fools and will be appearing in BBC/Netflix series Lockerbie. Ava is also a writer, facilitator and co-founded The Showmen’s Theatre Company.
Flora is a defiant and troubled teenager who stumbles upon a supernatural fair. What drew you to this role, and how did you connect with her journey?
Flora is the type of character that actors can get their teeth into. She’s smart, intuitive and really fierce. At the beginning of the play, she’s pretty lost and is out of places/people to turn to and we get to watch her go on this huge journey. I think that’s relatable – we’ve all felt lost at times. It’s fun for me as an actor to find that journey and to get to play with all the other big and wacky characters on stage as Flo is figuring things out!
The play blends history, folklore, and modern themes. How do you think Flora’s story resonates with contemporary audiences, especially young people?
I think the play explores the experience of young people in the care system and the pressures on young women today in a thrilling way. It’s also exciting to imagine interacting with figures from the past and to bring them to life on stage. It’s clever to compare the things that have changed or haven’t changed in society – to see it right there in front of you in the theatre. In 2025, we don’t 100% know how people from 1700 or 1800 spoke or how they moved – but to imagine those things/make those choices is fun for the actors playing those roles and satisfying for an audience to watch. The Kelton Hill Fair features Billy Marshall, a figure from Scottish travelling culture – it’s exciting to represent this history on stage today and also offers insight into Scottish folklore. I hope young people will see themselves reflected onstage in Flo’s story, whilst also learning from the historical and folklore elements.
You’ve worked with Wonder Fools before as part of their Youth Board. How has that experience shaped your journey as an actor, and what does it mean to now lead one of their productions?
I joined the WonderFools Youth Board in the Summer of 2021 before I started drama school. The Youth Board is such a unique opportunity – we worked with lots of playwrights on new plays for youth theatres and schools. I don’t think many projects help to develop young makers or creatives and teach dramaturgical skills – and in such a practical way. It was invaluable to developing my practice as a writer and has influenced how I approach script work as an actor too. It’s definitely special now that I’ve graduated from drama school to be working on this show with Wonder Fools as an actor. It’s so full circle!
The Kelton Hill Fair features a mix of storytelling, movement, and music. What’s been the most exciting or challenging aspect of bringing this immersive world to life on stage?
Working with this team is one of the most exciting things – actors and creatives I’ve admired for years. I first watched Julie Wilson Nimmo in Balamory when I was 4 years old so getting to be on stage with her is so cool! The set and sound design are amazing and we all have a lot of fun in the rehearsal room. Flo doesn’t leave the stage for any length of time at all really, so the most challenging thing for me is knowing that once the train leaves the station then that’s it – we’re off. It’s a big journey and although it’s challenging, everyone is super supportive and it’s exciting to discover it fresh every time.
With legendary figures like Billy Marshall, Robert Burns, and William Hare appearing in the story, were there any particular moments that felt especially surreal or thrilling to perform
In the play, we see some dramatised depictions of these historical figures. They’re all connected to Dumfries and Galloway, which is where the play is set.
It’s enjoyable to take people from different decades/centuries and put them in a boiling pot together and see what happens. It’s surreal that every night I get to learn about Billy Marshall, teach Hare about Ant and Dec and hear a brand new Burns poem hot off the press
You’re also a writer and co-founder of The Showmen’s Theatre Company. How does your experience as a performer influence your writing, and do you see yourself bringing more original stories to the stage in the future?
I co-founded The Showmen’s Theatre Company with Yana Harris and Bailey Newsome in 2022. We are all actors and Scottish Showpeople from the travelling fairground. We created the company to make theatre about our specific community and to offer up some positive representation in an entertaining way. Travelling communities aren’t well documented. There are so many fascinating stories untold and we don’t often see ourselves positively represented in the media or on stage. With our theatre company, we plan to help change this – much like Wonder Fools with The Kelton Hill Fair.
The Kelton Hill Fair will be playing at Theatre Royal Dumfries from March 21-22 and at Theatre Tron in Glasgow from March 25-29