Kings Theatre, Kirkcaldy: new season of comedy, live music, theatre cinema and cabaret

The Esplanade venue is bidding to tap into the huge numbers who visited for the first time to see Ya Wee Beauty & The Beastie, and tempt them back with its forest programme of 2024. The team behind the venue is keen to stage live shows and events every weekend to build up a strong local audience.

A host of shows are currently being pencilled in, but the schedules are taking shape, and the curtain rises with an opening night alternative Burns cabaret on Saturday, January 27., hosted by the venue’s regular Contrived Cabaret team.

Kingdom Come Events kickstart a new season of live music with a three-band bill on Friday, February 2, showcasing Central Scotland punk band Ex-, Glasgow based rockers Humanity Deluxe, and Sons Of Chance- and the gigs continue with the Beautiful Trainweck, plus support on February 9. There are some big names in the mix too with Skids frontman, Richard Hobson, pencilled in for an April visit along with Martin Metcalfe - who has worked with names such as Talking Heads - bring their acclaimed songs and stories show to the Lang Toun.

The Kings is also looking to expand is live theatre offering, and has several shows heading to its intimate stage in 2024. The line-up includes Sealed, a one-woman show by Morgan-Drew Glasgow which made its debut at l;ast year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and The Collie's Shed in which four retired miners discover how a review into the policing of the '80s mining strikes and a potential Miners' Pardon Bill by the Scottish Government suddenly affects them, their friendships and their relationships. Its arrival later this year will chime with the 40th anniversary of the start of the 1984 miners’ strike.

The Kings is also set to welcome Thief, written by Liam Rudden which garnered its first awards on its premiere at the Brighton Fringe in 2014, and has enjoyed an award-winning appearance on New York’s Broadway.”We’ve always wanted to bring theatre to the venue,” said Graham Scott, one of the driving forces behind the new season of shows. “This is our first proper year staging it.”

“We also, ideally, want to have live shows every weekend here, and even look to open up during the week.”

Quiz nights, and alternative 80s disco are also on the agenda, along with the return of Bearfoot Comedy which has generated great audiences at its monthly bills showcasing the best Scottish comedians on the circuit.

Stuart McPherson, Rachel Jackson, Daniel Downie, Ronnie Black and Craig Wilson are pencilled in for the first night on Saturday, February 3, followed by MC Hammersmith, Stu Murphy, Sophie McCabe and other acts to be confirmed on Saturday March 2.

A spin-off from the comedy club also brings Marjoline Robertson to the Kings for a gig which forms part of her debut UK tour. Robertson, who hails from Shetland, added the Kings to her itinerary after appearing there under the Bearfoot banner. At the 2023 Edinburgh Festival, her one-woman stand-up show Marj, was nominated for best show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2023. She is on stage at the Kings on Wednesday, March 20.

A new season of cinema is also set to get underway with new Saturday morning movies for children screening weekly, kicking off with Disney’s Elemental on Saturday, February 3 followed by The Little Mermaid on the 10th.

The first evening screening is Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy, on Thursday, February 1 with more big films to follow plus a selection of classics - the Kings has previously screened the rarely shown Woodstock as well as the The Warriors.

Added Graham: “Cinema has done really well for us. We’ve had some full houses and now we want to get our Saturday morning films established for children.”