The Kelty Clippie unveils Kirkcaldy preview show before hitting Edinburgh Fringe

A hit Fringe show which celebrated the life and times of Fife’s famous clippies is set to make its debut in Kirkcaldy.
Allan Crow
By Allan Crow
Published 14th Jul 2022, 07:00 BST
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The Kelty Clippie is returning to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, but will stage a special preview show at the Kings Live Lounge on August 13.

Written by John Murray, Fife Free Press music columnist, it has already played to full houses at the Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline and Lochgelly Centre, as well as winning plaudits at the Fringe - but this will be the first time it has been staged in the Lang Toun.

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The afternoon performance will unveil new characters as the show is updated for 2022 after previously enjoying sold out runs at the Fringe in 2018 and 2019.

Jacqueline Hannan returns in the Kelty Clippie (Pic: Steve Gunn). Inset: The full castJacqueline Hannan returns in the Kelty Clippie (Pic: Steve Gunn). Inset: The full cast
Jacqueline Hannan returns in the Kelty Clippie (Pic: Steve Gunn). Inset: The full cast
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The Kingdom Theatre Company show follows the adventures of Maggie Blair- (played by Jacqueline Hannan from Dunfermline -to become a conductress in the early 1970s. It ends up at the legendary Kelty Club for a night out.

It was based on the famousScottish folk song by the late John Watt whose widow Cathy and has seen the show and enthused about the production.

Watt was widely regarded as one of Scotland’;s great songwriters across five decades.

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The Dunfermline-born musician moved from jazz to blues before becoming part of the Dunfermline Howff Folksong Club which hosted many of the genre’s greatest names.

The Kelty Clippie appeared on his 1976 album Shores of the Forth recorded with Davey Stewart.

That turned out to be his only recording until fellow Fifer Rab Noakes got him to produce Heroes in 2000, but he was hugely active on the music scene, hosting numerous radio programmes and documentaries, and giving lectures and workshops.

He was also a key part of Milnathort Folk Festival’s committee.

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John passed away in 2011, but the Kelty Clippie remains a popular song to this day, and he is remembered by many across Fife’s music scene as a great singer, composer and storyteller.

His songs have been sung across many countries.

Singer Linton Osborne will perform a short warm up set before the Kirkcaldy show.

Tickets cost £8 and details from https://www.kingstheatrekirkcaldy.com/

Related topics:FifeKirkcaldyDunfermline