A leading Fife councillor has called for Dunfermline’s two theatres to be allowed to work together to ensure their long-term future.
Helen Law, chair of the council’s Dunfermline area committee, said she would be broken-hearted if either the Alhambra or Carnegie Hall had to close because of funding pressures.
Mrs Law was speaking after it emerged a report to next week’s executive committee revealed claims that Alhambra bosses feared they could close in March unless the local authority provided £1.7 million over five years.
The payout would also allow the Alhambra Theatre Trust (ATT) to take over the lease of the Carnegie Hall, currently run by Fife Cultural Trust, to make sure the venues work in harmony rather than in competition.
Alhambra bosses have denied there is any looming closure threat and insist it is business as usual this year.
Mrs Law said the proposal going before councillors on Tuesday was the culmination of months of negotiation between ATT and Fife Council.
“It’s about trying to ensure the Carnegie Hall and the Alhambra both have a long future in Dunfermline,” she said.
“I’m really keen to see them work together rather than being in competition.
“They could have different kinds of performances to attract different audiences.”
The councillor described the Alhambra as “the cornerstone of the night-time economy in Dunfermline” and added: “Without the Alhambra the town would face more difficult circumstances.
“Who would have thought we would have a time when almost every restaurant in Dunfermline has a pre-theatre menu?”
Despite the report to the council, Alhambra management said it was “misleading and inaccurate” to suggest they were under threat of closure.
“The theatre is open for business and will continue as usual,” they said.
“This latest council document is only the latest development in the many discussions between the Alhambra Theatre Trust and Fife Council over the last eight years in an effort to prompt a rethink in the way Fife Council allocates funds to culture provision in Fife.”