A FORMER Winsford man who has achieved his life-long ambition says that dreams are there to be followed.

Terry Finnegan had always been passionate about the theatre and recently decided to set up his own production company in London.

And the opening night of his first play, a performance of Moliere's Don Juan, will be staged at London's Upstairs at the Gatehouse theatre, in Highgate, later this month.

Terry said: "Life can be so dull, so if people get an opportunity to pursue an ambition they should go for it."

"I do feel very strongly that people are always highlighting what does not come out of Winsford and the bad things about the town.

"It is important to make people aware that they can pursue their dreams."

Terry was born in Liverpool in 1963 and moved to the Mount Pleasant area of Winsford when he was six-years-old. He lived there until 1980.

He was a pupil at St Joseph's Primary and St Nicholas' High Schools before joining the Royal Air Force at the age of 16.

He left the RAF after three years and tried his hand at media sales, working for newspapers in Lincoln and Cardiff, as well as various magazines in London.

But soon he was ready to move on and, at the age of 26, Terry went back into education, completing a degree in American Studies at Liverpool University.

He then revisited the publishing business for a number of years before he decided to take a risk on his childhood ambition.

Terry said: "I was always interested in amateur dramatics. I produced several plays when I was at school and was involved in Gang Shows with the Cubs and Scouts.

"I was also a member of the Winsford Amateur Dramatics Society in the mid 1970s and played a part in a production of Oliver."

Terry Finnegan Productions will begin its inaugural programme with Don Juan on February 9, and later performances, also at London's Upstairs at the Gatehouse theatre, will include The Shaughraun, by Boucicault, and Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Terry said: "We are neither labelling ourselves fringe or West End. Instead, we are seeking to establish a middle of the road that will secure an audience as a direct result of imaginative programming, marketing, funding and salaried casting."

"The philosophy is to find the right play for the right audience at the right time.

"In order to achieve this, we are staging Don Juan to coincide with Valentines Day and our Irish play, The Shaughraun, will begin on St Patrick's Day."

The initial programme will be followed by a further 12 week seasons for the summer and autumn/winter and Terry is keeping his fingers crossed that his venture will end in success.

Terry's mother Maureen, who lives in Pentland Close, Winsford, said: "I am very proud of my son and I am just hoping and praying that this new venture will take off for him."

Terry's father Tony, and his four sisters Maria, Rachel, Louise and Rebecca also currently live in Winsford.

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