Kings Theatre

The weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Kirkcaldy was held at the Dean Park Hotel on Tuesday 5^th June. There were 27 Members and 2 guests in attendance.

Presidents Business revolved around the recent visit from Ingolstadt with President Dallas highlighting what a success the visit had been and thanking Robert for organising such a great programme. Dallas had also received a letter from Anne Buchan thanking the Club for inviting her to the fellowship dinner and stating how much she enjoyed the evening. The President of the Rotary Club of Ingolstadt had also written to thank the Club for a very enjoyable visit.

President Dallas then had the pleasure of awarding a Paul Harris Fellowship. Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary and a Paul Harris Fellowship is a prestigious award bestowed upon Rotarians who’s life and vocation exemplify the Values of Rotary. The recipient of the award was Past President Brian Munro who has in his eight years as a club member has contributed significantly to the local community not only through his fantastic fund-raising efforts but also by organising Rotary events ranging from the Kids Out Day to the Christmas party for underprivileged children. Brian’s Rotarian efforts have not only been within the community but also further afield with him visiting and assisting with the school project in Tanzania. The Club offered Brian the sincerest of congratulations, Brian did not give a speech but said he was extremely honoured to receive the award.

Dallas closed Presidents Business with mention of the Kids Out day which is to be held at Cluny Activity Centre on Tuesday 12^th June from 9:30am.

Secretary’s announcements served as a reminder of the Club Council meeting on the 11^th, and Swapan also announced that the cost for the fellowship BBQ on the 23^rd June was £20 per couple not per head.

The speaker was Grant Foster on the restoration of the Kings Theatre. Grant has been working within the Scottish theatre scene for 18 years and has spent the last 4 years working on the Kings Theatre project.

The Kings theatre was built in 1903 and opened in 1904, being able to seat two thousand people it is the oldest and largest Kings Theatre in Scotland. The designer was Kirkcaldy resident JD Swanson who went on to design the Edinburgh Kings Theatre and many other prominent landmarks.

One claim to fame of the Kirkcaldy theatre is that in 1905 it hosted a performance of ‘Sherlock Homes’ in which Charlie Chaplain was one of the actors. Most residents of Kirkcaldy remember the building as a cinema which finally closed in 2000.

Grant is now working towards the restoration which they hope to have completed by 2021. The Kings theatre has the largest stage size in Fife so the refurbished theatre will have an edge over the other Fife theatres. The plan is to maximise the views out across the Forth both from the restaurant area as well as creating an outdoor landing. In addition to theatre space there will be a large multifunction space available for events such as weddings.

The aim is to start using the facility over the summer, this will be accomplished by a pop up venue in what will eventually be the dining room. The project is to have strong ties with Fife college who will use the venue as an education centre for both their catering students and stage and theatre students.

PP Mark gave the vote of thanks and commented how good it was to see a listed building not just being saved, but put to good use.