Motions, questions and answers

That the Parliament recognises the success of the Alhambra Theatre in Dunfermline and the benefits that it brings to the Fife and wider Scottish economy; understands that the Alhambra, a registered Scottish charity and Fife’s largest theatre, was built in 1922 and traded continuously as a theatre, cinema and bingo hall until the mid-2000s, after which it was left in a state of disrepair; commends the work undertaken by the current management under the leadership of Bill Fletcher, which took over the theatre in 2007 and has overseen a full restoration, delivering the Alhambra back to its original use as a major theatre; notes that the theatre has since achieved a number one touring house status, one of only eight in Scotland, and regularly shows top name comedians, all genres of music, ballet performances and West End musicals of the kind never before staged in Fife; recognises that the theatre has hosted over 3,000 shows, averaging over 160 per year since 2007, and entertained over 2.6 million paying customers; praises the theatre for also supporting community-based performers and groups such as dance schools, acrobatics clubs, Dunfermline Children’s Gala and primary school Glee competitions; notes the particular success of the Alhambra Theatre Stage School, which offers a wide variety of training for all levels and ages and averages around 400 pupils on a weekly basis; acknowledges the hard work of the board of trustees in restoring the Alhambra to become one of Scotland’s major theatres; notes the further ambitions to develop a dedicated theatre school and studio theatre/rehearsal facility on an adjacent site; welcomes that the theatre provides employment opportunities, particularly for young people looking for a start in the industry, and wishes the theatre every success for the future.