Plans revealed to re-open doors to Kirkcaldy’s forgotten cinema 22 years after it closed

Plans are in hand to bring the historic foyer of the former ABC Cinema back into use.

The trustees of the Kings Theatre have submitted a planning application to Fife Council for permission to carry out temporary work to make the area safe to re-open.

The cinema closed in 2000 and it has fallen into a dreadful state of disrepair, making public access impossible.

But while the three screens remain out of bounds, hopes are high that the foyer could be re-opened for events such as Doors Open Day and to host exhibitions on the building’s rich history.

The application for listed building consent aims to carry our restoration work to the High Street entrance which closed its doors in 2000.

The trustees want to clear the debris and form temporary partitions which block off access to the rest of the building where the damage of two decades of disuse is significant.

The foyer, which still has its original box office, would be instantly recognisable today to anyone stepping inside.

It also has the only surviving original decorative plasterwork dating from 1904 at frieze and ceiling level plus an original stained-glass window.

The glazed screen over the doors is substantially intact, and beneath the carpet lies the . original terrazzo floor and the marble steps which lead to the stalls and dress circle.

When the building was converted to a cinema in the late 1930s the entrance remained substantially intact.

It was only in the conversion to a multi-screen cinema in the 1970s that some modifications were made to the original fabric.

The intention is for this space to be cleared of debris and for carpet finishes to be revealed to enable public access into this space.

A supporting statement submitted with the application said: “This will then provide a safe and contained area in which the public can be invited without risk.

The space will offer opportunity to be part of events such as Doors Open Day, and for the trust to host exhibitions.

Councillors and officers will consider the application in due course.

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