When will the Kings Live Lounge in Kirkcaldy open and what does the future hold?

Countless theatres, concert halls and other arts venues across Britain are in dire financial difficulty.

And if they are forced to close, we will all lose out.

That’s why we are proud to launch this major campaign, The Show Must Go On.

We know how important these places are to our towns.

We know what they mean to so many of you - the memories they stir, the creativity they inspire, the financial support they provide to our businesses and workers.

The government recently announced it is spending £1.57 billion to support the industry.

But as vast as that sum may sound, it is unlikely to be enough.

We want to make sure our venues get the help they need – wherever they are.

Our campaign has been endorsed by the Theatres Trust, the national charity that campaigns to protect theatre buildings for current and future generations.

It aims to make sure the needs of our venues and the people who depend on them get heard - and that they get the help they need and deserve.

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at different aspects of our local arts scenes and we will speak to performers and bosses of music and entertainment venues, finding out more about the difficulties they face.

This week we spoke to The Kings Theatre project in Kirkcaldy, and Kingdom Theatre Company founder John Murray to get their views on what lies ahead for the industry.

Stephen Barbour, events and community engagement manager at the Kings Theatre project, said there is still a great deal of uncertainty at the moment – and he doesn’t see the Kings Live Lounge being able to re-open before the end of October.

He said: “We had been hoping to reschedule some gigs in August, but it is still too soon.

“We have all been furloughed and October will be our last furlough wage. In terms of the money we could be potentially losing by coming away from that, it makes sense for us to be patient and just hold off until October to save the charity.

“We won’t be open before then because we are just going to lose too much money. We still have overheads to pay like internet access and building insurance so there are still outgoings – add wages on top of that, it is a lot to pay out.

“If we did open, we would need to make money pretty quickly and one of the main issues is people’s confidence which just isn’t there at the moment. People are still very wary about going out to places.

“Like pubs - a lot of people went to them initially because it was a novelty. A lot of my friends did but they haven’t been back since.

“We also can’t have any live performers at the moment so it makes no sense for us to re-open just now.

“We might get a nice run into Christmas if the confidence comes back, we could maybe socially distance a bit better then depending on what the regulations are.”

The team at the venue has received a lot of messages from locals asking why, if pubs can open, it cannot.

But he said it is a lot more complex than people think: “It isn’t just a case of social distancing,” he explained.

“We also need to pay more staff to work, the toilets need manned, the number of people coming in needs monitored and you need someone to take their contact details.

“Our bar isn’t big enough so we can’t socially distance with staff behind it, so that in turn slows service.

“We are almost too small a venue.

“If we have to half our capacity, or even just have two thirds but we have to put on extra staff to do more cleaning and making sure people socially distance - and this is before you pay for the act or performer - then our outlay is going up but the money coming in is less.

“If you have a venue that can take 500-600 people and it is reduced by one, it can probably still be viable at that.

“If pubs can finally be able to put on live music that might be the only place you are able to see a live performance because of how it can be managed.

“A venue and a show performance is a completely different thing.

“Just take the cabaret nights at the Kings. The interval is when the bar is mobbed and the toilets are busy and you have to be able to manage that flow of people.

“There are so many scenarios and each and every one that we have looked at either comes up with a viability issue or the risk factor is just too high. It really is an uncertain time for the whole industry.”

But he remains confident the Kings can survive – with patience.

“If we don’t jump the gun and don’t make the mistake of opening too early we will be okay,” he said.

“I think being brave enough to be patient is what will save us.

“However, if we need to wait until next year we might struggle. We need to re-open this year – that run at Christmas will probably save us unless we get other funding from places like the Music Venues Trust.”

Stephen said while they raised over £800 from a Justgiving page set up a few months ago to help keep the Kings going, they will need more as time goes on.

He added: “The community we have in Fife, especially here in Kirkcaldy, has come together and everybody is supporting each other which is really good so I am feeling really positive about it.

“But the message is that we still need money – if anyone would like to help by giving us some, we would gladly receive it.”

Meanwhile, John Murray believes venues have to follow any advice and guidance for re-opening but that many will not be able to handle the social distancing measures needed.

He said: “For the Kings Live Lounge it is not financially to stage acts at distance due to staff costs and hire of the performers.

“The Kings’ strength was in its intimacy and with no outdoor space, tit can’t plan for any public event, and that includes fitness classes.

“But in terms of when many venues will be able to re-open, given the optimism of vaccine tests and the proposed roll out on this combined with the cases declining for Scotland, I would think March 2021 is a target.”

He also thinks funding is also needed to help venues survive.

“The UK Government and Creative Scotland have announced funding schemes and in the case of the Fringe £100,000 grant and £1m loan in order to survive till August 2021.

“The community can support small venues too and, in the case of the Kings Kirkcaldy, an online variety show by the Contrived Cabaret did raise awareness and funding. Langtoun Jazz Festival held a weekend of online performances which raised over £350 for Kirkcaldy Foodbank.”

But what does the future hold for arts, music and theatre venues generally and is culture still important to the local economy?

John said: “With movies, tours and even award ceremonies all lost, the public would welcome a return of the arts. When ticket sales return the demand will be higher than ever. Lockdown has been a time for the arts to plan ahead but without dates so far.”

He added: “I predict it will be like a new freedom for many and even if it takes until 2023 as some are suggesting, the festivals, tours and stage shows will be in demand like never before.”