The Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline

The Alhambra theatre first opened in Dunfermline in 1922 and due to financial problems staging live shows became The Temple Of Motion Pictures in 1924. It ended up closing down in 1965 was turned into a bingo hall.


A couple of years ago the bingo hall moved to Dunfermline’s eastern expansion and the building became vacant. A property developer and theatre manager saw the potential in the place and decided to restore it to its ...
...and Dunfermline favorites Nazareth were the first act to play in the venue again. The line up so far has included KT Tunstall, Roy Chubby Brown and One Night Of Queen.


I had heard loads of stories from an elderly neighbour about how he loved visiting The Alhambra to see films as a boy and I was delighted to hear that they had arranged to have a touring projection company visit a few times a year to recreate old time cinema showings ... more

The Alhambra theatre first opened in Dunfermline in 1922 and due to financial problems staging live shows became The Temple Of Motion Pictures in 1924. It ended up closing down in 1965 was turned into a bingo hall.

A couple of years ago the bingo hall moved to Dunfermline’s eastern expansion and the building became vacant. A property developer and theatre manager saw the potential in the place and decided to restore it to its former glory.

The Alhambra reopened in 2008 and Dunfermline favorites Nazareth were the first act to play in the venue again. The line up so far has included KT Tunstall, Roy Chubby Brown and One Night Of Queen.

I had heard loads of stories from an elderly neighbour about how he loved visiting The Alhambra to see films as a boy and I was delighted to hear that they had arranged to have a touring projection company visit a few times a year to recreate old time cinema showings and decided to go along and see Mamma Mia! the first film to be shown here in over 40 years.

My least favourite part of the old time cinema experience was queuing up waiting for the doors to open as tickets were not bookable in advance. The queue snaked round the corner and down the New Row, at least it wasn't raining and I bumped into a friend and we had a good gossip while we waited.

Finally it was time to go inside and buy tickets at the old fashioned ticket booth, just like the old days it was cash only and the tickets a reasonable £6. We were greeted by an usher, a teenage boy in an ill-fitting suit and cap and sold popcorn by a couple of girls wearing old fashioned uniforms with the trays hanging from their necks.

Then into the main theatre, they had recreated the mood of an old style cinema with smoke machines as due to the smoking ban real smoke would be frowned on. I was delighted to see a bar inside and free from my usual constraints of kids and the car made a beeline to it.

We took our seats and I had a look around this old building. The grandeur of the building was apparent but it would be fair to say that it is a bit faded and frayed around the edges. I've heard many tales about this place being haunted and I can well believe it; the place is downright spooky. Looking up at the balconies sent a shiver down my spine and I wouldn’t even go to the toilet without my sister by my side even though I doubt she would be much use if a ghost decided to make an appearance.

The entertainment started with a showing of old black and white news reels. They certainly took the news very seriously in those days with the newsreaders all being male and speaking in clipped tones.

Then onto the movie. Mamma Mia! was every bit as good second time around, the hum of the old projector reel was slightly irritating at times but certainly added to the atmosphere.

There was a break half way through the movie and the girls with the trays containing ice cream and popcorn came back round but I'm afraid we were more interested in the outdoor smoking section and making another trip to the bar. You have to go through an extremely spooky hall to get outside but once you get outside there are benches, ashtrays and a lovely view of Dunfermline at night I've never seen before.

Back inside to our big bouncy seats for the rest of the movie and people were up dancing and singing in the wide aisles and the atmosphere was brilliant.

I really enjoyed my old time cinema experience and cant wait to see what film is coming next. I probably spent the same amount of money as I would if I had visited the Odeon a couple of miles away but this was much better. The staff had gone all out to make us feel looked after and have a memorable evening and it felt like a proper night out.

I have since visited The Alhambra a second time, this time to see comedian Phil Minchin in concert. Again it was fantastic evening with an incredible atmosphere amongst the audience and the staff doing a brilliant job of making sure that the audience had an enjoyable evening. My only gripe with The Alhambra is that when I went to buy tickets during office hours from the box office they still did not accept credit or debit card payments.

The Alhambra also opens it’s doors to the public yearly during September for Doors Open Day when they give free tours around the building, look out for details in the Dunfermline Press in September. It is also possible to join Facebook groups to keep up to date with what is happening within the theatre.

Congratulations to the new owners of The Alhambra for breathing some life into this old building. Hopefully this venue will continue to grow and continue to bring big name acts into Dunfermline.

 

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