How Dibble Tree Theatre was established Our original constitution urged us to 'own and run our own theatre'. Over the years many attempts were made to do this. One hopeful but ultimately hopeless effort was our lease of the then defunct Dominion Cinema. It looked good during that beautifully dry summer. When the Autumn rains came, so did the internal floods. There weren't enough buckets and basins in Carnoustie to keep our beautifully decorated and much loved clubrooms a viable prospect.

We lived for a while thereafter in the Masonic Hall which was home for our scenery and rehearsed many plays and two pantomimes. It also, turned out to be too great a financial burden for both ourselves and the Masons and so we were on the move again. Our scenery then spent many happy years in Bell's cowshed just outside the town. Chickens roosted on our flats and rostra and left many a deposit which gave an entirely new meaning to redecoration. Other homes for scenery were the Yacht Club store, a garage, a cottage and a portacabin. Costume languished in lofts, cottages, wardrobes, back rooms, garages and a laundry room. We rehearsed in living rooms, garages, school rooms and gardens and performed in every conceivable flat space in the town.

Through twenty turbulent years the Club presented 3 full length plays, 2 or 3 one-act plays and a pantomime or musical show every year. We slowly established a reputation for professional hard work and quality. Membership grew close to 100.

Our luck had to change and in 1991 it did. At a public meeting we finally launched our bid to own a useful property and a few months later we could hardly believe our luck when we were practically given a building in the centre of town with all the potential to make a first class 'little theatre'.

I say 'given', but we did have a little mortgage help from a friendly bank manager, a grant of £5000 from the Angus District Council, a grant of £8000 from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts not to mention a lot of very hard work from many and growing membership who raised a further £12,000.

Friends of the Club over many years pooled their efforts to transform the single brick structure, ex-garden centre, ex-joiners workshop into a viable small theatre. Nothing useable was wasted. No opportunity lost to encourage unsuspecting donors to give us theatre seating (Regal Cinema, Broughty Ferry) cupboards, glazing, doors and labour were all given willingly by an enthusiastic community.

How did the theatre get it's peculiar name? For this we have to understand a bit of Carnoustie folklore. In Napoleonic times Carnoustie was a much smaller coastal farming village and Thomas Lousen, a Sea Fencible (coastguard) and small time farmer was trying to plant out a relatively infertile plot of land close to the village. Thomas was using a willow 'dibble' (planting stick) and in the planting process grew tired, fell asleep and when he awoke forgot where he had left his dibble. Some months later he found it again but as is the wont of willow, it had rooted.

This became Carnoustie's Dibble Tree. David Lowson, Thomas's great, great grandson, now a man in his seventies, lives close to the site of the Dibble Tree which grows just on the edge of the theatre grounds. Over the years he tended the tree which has suffererd lightning strikes and other injuries and now shows it's great age.

The Executive Committee of the Club, in seeking to find a suitable name for the theatre wished to link it strongly to the town and so it wasn't difficult to choose 'Dibble Tree' Theatre, as the name. David Lowson and his wife performed the official opening of the theatre at a Grand Gala Fete 18 months after the start of work.

Dibble Tree Theatre has 48 seats, 2 dressing rooms, a box office, scenery store, disabled access, toilets, a well equipped sound and lighting control room and a beautiful stage. We just love it. Thank you to everyone who helped make our dreams come true.

And now for a post script .... The Club's plans to enhance Dibble Tree has taken a giant step forward with a Lottery grant of £63,000 notified to us in January 1998. The total cost of the works to produce additional rehearsal space, property store, enhanced customer and disabled facilities and updated technical equipment will round out at £84,000. The balance will be met from our own fund raising and an interest free loan from the Morton Trust. Watch this space for further details.

This page first uploaded on 15th April 1996.