Kirkcaldy is a town with a great panto tradition. It is also a town with not one, but two, fantastic shows - making it unique.

The final touches are being put to Aladdin at the Adam Smith Theatre and Oor Wee Mammy McGoose at the Kings Theatre ahead of opening nights this week, with cast and crew ready to plunge into a hectic schedule of shoes right through the festive season.

Pantos are often the first experience of live theatre for many youngsters, sparking annual visits that can continue for a lifetime.

The world of panto is colourful, noisy, exciting and fun - and Kirkcaldy has two ‘must see’ shows which guarantee a great night out.

The cast of Aladdin which opens at the Adam Smith Theatre on December 4 (Pic: Submitted)

placeholder image — The cast of Aladdin which opens at the Adam Smith Theatre on December 4 (Pic: Submitted)

With tech preparations completed this week, the stage is set for opening night at the Adam Smith - a venue which can trace its panto back several decades and which have seen stars of television and theatre step on to the stage. Even Hollywood star James McAvoy did panto in the Lang Toun!

The 2025 cast features some weel-kent faces and some new ones, and a new director in Beth Morton who promises some ‘wow’ moments in each performance.

Aladdin marks Fife actor-singer Kim Shepherd’s tenth appearance at the Adam Smith, and she is joined by Angus Bhattacharya in the title role of Aladdin while Colin Little will be centre stage as the larger-than-life Dame, and Scott Watson is back as his comedy sidekick.

They are joined by Colum Findlay as the genie, while Derek McGhie will bring all the ‘boos’ as the evil Abanazar, and Ailsa Erskine is the Spirit of the Ring.

Beth said: “The script is so funny and the cast are brilliant. They bring something unique to the show. We have had lots of fun, so I know the audiences will also have fun.”

With plenty local references packed into the script, the panto has a distinctive Lang Toun feel to it, while telling a traditional story in its own style.

“Audiences expect to see certain things in Aladdin, so there is a magic carpet, and there’s a genie, but there are also surprises - this is a Kirkaldy panto so we are not using traditional character names. We have Wipey McBottie and Dame Pattie-McBottie!.

“We want to make it fresh and exciting.We find wow moments and then try to make them even bigger.”

Beth has worked with cast members in other productions before meeting in the rehearsal room at the theatre, and she has been delighted to see the enthusiasm and commitment of the young local dancers who form part of a strong line-up.

“There is a lot of choreography in the show!” she said. “They are having a great time, and it is fantastic to have them in the rehearsal room where they can catch parts of the show and tell them what we are working on.

“The whole team are incredible. My job is to make sure they believe in themselves - let them be playful. The mor e they relax, the more they enjoy it and the more audiences enjoy it. The music is brilliant, the choreography is amazing - people will feel really uplifted by the songs.”

> Aladdin, Adam Smith Theatre, December 4-30. Ticket info here