The echoes of a lively cultural hotspot

The bustle around the box office in the main foyer, as friends and family rendezvous, and tickets are collected with one eye on the clock. The clink of glasses and the buoyant chatter emanating from the café bar whose patrons are enjoying a hot drink, or a sharpener, before the main event. The murmur of expectation in the auditorium, as an eager audience take their seats. 

The word ‘theatre’ comes from the Greek theatron, meaning a place of seeing or viewing. But when thinking of theatre trips and experiences, our memories are often alive with a variety of forms of stimuli and energy. These are places that, certainly when shows are occurring, are typically a hive of activity and noise, and a riot of movement and colour, both on and off the stage.

Showtime is getting closer

Of course, at the moment, the grand Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy doesn’t resound to a happy stramash of theatre goers and performances. Having been closed for extensive refurbishment for over two years, its more recent occupants have been tradespeople and labourers, wielding power tools and other work equipment, and creating an altogether more industrial din.

An invaluable project for the local and wider communities, it’s been subject to delay, not least because of the global pandemic. But with its reopening scheduled for summer 2023, now is a good time to assess where the plans are and what they mean for everyone with an interest in the site. And the reincarnation of this popular venue is not short of ambition – indeed, its plans are inclusive of far more than just a theatre offer!

The creation of a broader hub

The vision for the Adam Smith Theatre’s redevelopment is to see it become a vibrant creative community hub for Kirkcaldy, Fife and further afield. A place that will support and nurture both individuals and businesses, as well as artistic endeavours, be they amateur dramatics, stand-up comedy or creative community projects. It will also be an attractive, practical setting for meeting, networking and fleshing out ideas, side by side.

Phase 1 of the project is now complete. It involved work on the main hall, plus the renovation of the auditorium to realise a fresh space with a new lighting and sound rig that can, for example, support local drama and performance groups to work in a more comfortable, professional environment. 

Phase 2, still a work in progress, includes the upgrading of the foyer and box office space. The café bar will retain its core hospitality purpose, but is also due to serve as an event space for training and conferences, as well as open mic and comedy nights, not to mention social bookings. In addition, a new multipurpose meeting room will offer a smaller meeting space suitable for virtual get-togethers, boardroom table gatherings, or relaxed powwows in comfy sofas and armchairs. On top of that the upgraded Beveridge Suite, plus a new Design Suite, are earmarked for exciting new roles for socialising, events, performances and creative work opportunities.

Fife’s new creative focal point

The project seeks to achieve a number of outcomes that can benefit the venue, its hometown and Fife as a whole, including of course the many people who reside and visit here. For example, it’s hoped that it will help Kirkcaldy to establish a reputation within the creative industries as a great place to go for networking with an entrepreneurial, artistic buzz. The increased involvement of local communities is also a key aim, along with the attraction of new audiences for the venue as a whole.

And if the development of a thriving creative hub for the area is successful, then who knows what sights and sounds will greet people when they visit the Adam Smith Theatre in the years ahead. The raucous laughter of a crowd, as a local comedian’s routine strikes gold. Repetitive lines puncturing the air, from an am-dram group rehearsing their show. Hushed chat from a handful of sole traders in a co-working area, fleshing out their ideas for a new start-up business. A speaker’s voice calling a conference crowd to order in a packed auditorium. An enthusiastic audience singalong, from a tribute band’s gig in the spacious new café bar. In short, while the renovation project will end in 2023, its possibilities will just be beginning. Watch this space!