BREAKING NEWS: Plug is pulled on Kirkcaldy Comedy Festival
Kirkcaldy Interactive Komedy Festival 2012 cover
the plug is about to be pulled on Kirkcaldy’s 2012 comedy festival.
Shows planned for this weekend are ON - but everything else has been scrapped after the company behind it said it couldn’t deliver the rest of the programme.
Kreative Destiny’s website was left blank on Friday just hours before a short statement was released delivering the shock news.
It means shows featuring stars such as actor Brian Blessed, Fringe favourite Josie Long, German stand-up Henning Wehn and rising star Patrick Monahan are all OFF.
No details have been given about refunds for people who have bought tickets.
The dramatic turn of events came just days after the company was turned down by councillors to stage a major Hogmanay party in Kirkcaldy.
Bob Carruthers, the businessmen who developed the 2012 festival programme, was highly critical of that decision.
He set up Kreative Destiny, which was based in the New Club just off the High Street, and his vision was to establish a social enterprise company in his home town which generated jobs and supported a range of projects- but it emerged earlier this month he had transferred the running of the company to Warwickshire-based businesswoman Clare Gambold.
Mr Carruthers was also heavily involved in the ‘Wraith Rovers’ spoof zombie movie shot at Stark’s Park which was due to get its premiere during the festival - and he was also behind plans to print the Kirkcaldy edition of Adam Smith’s ‘‘Wealth Of Nations.’’
Kirkcaldy4aAll, major sponsors of the festival, confirmed this weekend’s show would be honoured - but everything else was off.
In a short statement, a spokesman said: ‘‘We commissioned Kreative Destiny to create, promote and deliver a bigger and better festival.
‘‘We are very disappointed to receive this news.
‘‘Support had been received from local businesses, some of whom either sponsored or hosted events, and Kirkcaldy4All would like to take this opportunity to thank them all.’’
It confirmed shows planned for this weekend would be honoured.
That means the following gigs are ON FRIDAY
‘Glasgow Roasts Kirkcaldy’ - Betty Nicols featuring Viv Gee, Obie, Susan McCabe and Jamie Dalgleish
Das Vegas Night - Society, featuring Frank Sanazi and Vive le Cabaret from around 8.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. (note start time is different from the 9.30 p.m. printed on tickets)
SATURDAY
Kids disco - Pancake Place
Creative Martyrs - New Club featuring Paul Dabek
Cuppa Comedy Club - Cuppa Coffee House - with Alan Anderson’s ‘Whisky For Dafties’ followed by Reg Anderson.
But everything from Monday through to the end of October has been scrapped.
The 2012 festival promised to deliver a very different line-up of shows as it moved away purely from stand-up comedy to embrace cabaret and music.
Mr Carruthers organised a showcase at the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh in August to tap into some of the acts performing at the Fringe Festival, and last month he brought headliner Henning Wehn up from London to Kirkcaldy as part of a taster show for locals and sponsors, held in Society, one of his venue live venues.
Tickets to several shows were bought in their entirety by local businesses as corporate nights for clients and guests - and some have them will now not take place.
Attemnpts to contact him for comment were unsuccessful.
>> Read more on this breaking news story in next week’s Fife Free Press.
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Weather for Kirkcaldy
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 6 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: North west
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Light showers
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