Kirkcaldy Kings: Puddles Pity Party, music from JJ Gilmour & cult film The Wanderers

And it’s list of coming attractions features a host of tempting gigs including punk legend Fay Fife, and comedian Gavin Webster. Full details of all events at www.facebook.com/kingstheatrekirkcaldy

The Esplanade venue, which is run by trustees and volunteers, has packed a number of shows into its 2024 calendar, and it kicks off with a welcome return for comedian Marjolein Robertson as part of her debut UK stand-up tour on Wednesday (March 20). The Shetland Islands based comedian has already headlined one of the venue’s comedy nights run by Bearfoot Comedy.

In 2022, she performed a one-woman show at The Stand comedy club as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and won in the Scots Speaker of the Year category at the Scots Leid Awards. The following month she reached the final of the BBC New Comedy Awards. At last year’s Fringe, Marjolein’s one-woman stand-up show, Marj, was nominated for best show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2023 alongside acts such as Ed Byrne, Luke Kempner and Paul Foot.

On Thursday, the Kings will be packed for Puddles’ Pity Party - a unique show which wowed audiences at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and also the judges America’s Got Talent. Securing the gig was a huge coup for the Esplanade venue - it is the only Scottish date on his current UK tour which takes in Liverpool and London – and all tickets were quickly snapped up.

Puddles was created by American singer and entertainer, Mike Grier, and has wowed audiences across the globe. He was a quarter-finalists in the 2017 series of America’s Got Talent and returned for their 2020 champions show. He has also been a massive hit at the Fringe where he made his debut in 2015. In January 2019 he began a headline act residency at Caesars Palace.

The melancholic singing clown takes classic songs from many groups and stars - an eclectic soundtrack from Pink Floyd to Britney Spears - and creates a life-affirming show which features silent comedy, and gentle audience participation as he wanders round the room, inviting people on stage without ever speaking out loud.

On Saturday, the stage welcomes singer-songwriter JJ Gilmour, the former frontman of renowned Scottish band The Silencers. He has carved out a superb solo career on the back of five albums, and is the latest big name to come to the Kings after The Bathers, Hannah Aldridge and Martin Stephenson.

In the pipeline are gigs with James Grant, Dean Owens, The Countess of Fife, Rachel Sermani and Kirsten Adamson.

The Kings is also the town’s community cinema. On Friday night it screens the 1979 cult classic The Wanderers, which tells the story of an Italian-American gang vying for respect on the streets of the Bronx in 1963.

It is followed by a Saturday morning matinee of Frozen II at 11:00am. Cinema tickets are pegged at £5 with under-14s getting in for just £2. The next comedy night run by Bearfoot is on April 6.