Ya Wee Beauty: Kirkcaldy Kings Theatre’s panto sets take shape for sold-out first night

He is the voice of the Mer-Cat in Ya Wee Beauty and The Wee Beastie, and he has single handedly designed the stage sets for this year’s festive performances which get underway with opening night on Thursday, December 7.

Graham has been a key figure in the town’s panto scene since 1999, creating many of the sets at the Adam Smith Theatre where he worked with Billy Mack, and one James McAvoy as the future star of the blockbuster X-Men films took his first steps on stage. At the Kings he has hosted regular live music nights, and is the driving force behind its cinema screenings, as well as bringing theatre to its small stage in 2024, but his focus this month is panto.

Graham was one of the key people who brought panto to the Esplanade venue as the Adam Smith closed for a three-year refurbishment. He approached Billy Mack who led him to producer Jonathon Stone who he has worked with for more than 20 years, and also sought out local actors - and that team has returned for a third season as the Kings creates its own panto tradition.

Last year Graham was the voice of Hooter the owl, this year it’s a cat - named after the Mercat Shopping Centre - and while he may remain in the wings, his sets will take centre stage; a one-man job to transform the room into a magical pantoland.

He explained: “Jonathan wanted a semi-ruined castle for the set this year, so I set to work with 100 styrofoam panels and turned them into the backdrop., They are all glued and painted - and look great”

Creating the set for the smallest panto stage in Scotland was far from easy.

“There is just no room for error,” he said. “You are working to the millimetre, and it has to be exact or it won’t fit. Backdrops are one of the most expensive parts of the show, and the castle looks fantastic. It has been a big challenge, and a lot of work going into it for one person, but I was determined it’d work. I did a lot of sets at the Adam Smith - I did sixx barricades for Les Miserables - but working on a stage to such a tight scale is much tougher. You have to think small.”

The set also includes four cloths, including a stunning street scene of Kirkcaldy High Street specially commissioned for the show. Add in a projection screen, and every single millimetre counts.

“It will look amazing,” added Graham as he added the finishing touches to another part of the set.

Ya Wee Beastie And The Beastie opens with a sold out first night next week, with a number of performances already set for full houses, and ticket availability limited for others. Full ticket availability and prices at www.kingstheatrekirkcaldy.com/ .The schedule includes relaxed performances, special school shows - which are fully subscribed - and some adults only nights post Hogmanay.