LOCHGELLY Centre's theatre saw ticket sales recorded of over 14,000 in the period 2015-2016, Cowdenbeath Area Committee was told.

In making the annual report from Fife Cultural Trust, which runs the facility and the libraries in Benarty, Kelty, Cowdenbeath, Cardenden and Lochgelly, Michelle Sweeney said that the Centre theatre had played its part in the Trust's grown reputation as a theatre and arts provider.

The director of creative development and delivery, told councillors that the period covered by the report saw a 'vibrant and diverse range of activities programmed in to the Trust's theatres with the Lochgelly Centre; Adam Smith, in Kirkcaldy; Carnegie Hall Dunfermline and the Rothes Halls in Glenrothes, providing a wide ranging programme of entertainment including music, film, dance, drama, comedy and theatre for children'.

Said Michelle: "The Lochgelly Centre saw over 14,500 tickets sold during the year and over 1,700 residents from the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area enjoyed performances at our four theatres in 2015/16, buying 10,824 tickets equating to sale of £124,503.

"The Lochgelly Centre offers something for all ages. Our youngest theatre goers enjoyed KidO from Scottish Opera, two children's puppet shows as part of the national Puppet Animation Festival-Red Riding Hood and Twitawoo, and a delightful sensory dance theatre piece called The Pine Tree, Poggle and Me.

"The Centre also hosted Pioneers of Performance, a one day festival of dance and physical theatre, supported by the Work Room and Creative Scotland and other popular shows were the return of Wishbone Ash and also Lochgelly and District Amateur Musical Association's annual production and Cowdenbeath Community Theatre's panto, Mother Goose."

Michelle added: "Our mission is enriching lives in Fife and our aim is to deliver experiences that are entertaining, engaging, educational and accessible."

On libraries she said that 2015/16 saw the start if the implementation of plans to transform Fife's library network to secure its long term future and operationally it now had two full-time libraries at Cowdenbeath and the Jennie Lee Library at the Lochgelly Centre, plus part-time libraries in Cardenden, Benarty and Kelty, along with the mobile library service.

She reported that the issues of books had dropped at the two full-time libraries over the period covered by 11 percent at Cowdenbeath and 17 per cent at the Jennie Lee.