History of the Alhambra
Many local people think of the Alhambra as either a new theatre or ‘the old cinema’ – but in fact it has a long and varied history.
Local architect John Fraser designed the Alhambra, which was built by G. Stewart of Blantyre in 1922 as a dual-purpose entertainment venue for theatrical performance and cinema.
Upon completion, the Alhambra turned out to be the largest brick building in Dunfermline. After a difficult two-year build period, it commenced its illustrious life when its doors were first opened on 22nd August 1922.
One of the most noted dates in the history of the theatre is 11th August 1928, when the then Duke & Duchess of York, later King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) were given The Freedom of Dunfermline on the Alhambra’s stage: the fourth largest in Scotland.
Despite the prestige of this massive stage, many Fifers will remember the Alhambra as a cinema rather than as a theatre: it was operated as such from August 1924 until January 1965. Thereafter, the popularity of bingo began to sweep the land!
The introduction of bingo has saved many a theatre building from the wrecker’s ball. The conversion did not require major alteration to the interior fabric and features, and means that the Alhambra’s Category B-Listed Egyptian, Classical & Art Deco interior survives largely intact and unaltered from its glory days.
Largest Neon Sign in Fife
Our sign was erected on the Alhambra’s New Row aspect in November 1950. It was green, orange & cerise in colour and its 30″ high vertical ‘ALHAMBRA’ lettering resulted in a sign of approximately 20 feet in height. This spectacular landmark was reinstated in June 2011 and once again towers high over the town, a shining beacon to the success of the Alhambra restoration project.
Alhambra in the Raw
A public awareness campaign called ‘Alhambra in the Raw’ saw fundraising events taking place in the building to raise the money required for the refurbishment.
The hard work of many dedicated individuals has paid off, resulting in a vibrant, exciting entertainment space of which Dunfermline should be very proud.
The 7th of June 2008 saw the re-launch of the Alhambra as a theatre and live music venue, and the programme that has been presented so far has proved to be hugely successful. Since then the Alhambra has gone from strength to strength, establishing itself as a number one touring house and bringing some of the most well-known names in entertainment to Dunfermline.
