Leith Theatre

Significance

Leith Theatre opened in 1932, built for the people of Leith 'as a gift from the people of Edinburgh', following the Burgh of Leith’s incorporation into Edinburgh. The building is part of a complex that includes the Thomas Morton Hall, Leith Library, and Caretaker’s Cottage. It is owned by City of Edinburgh Council. It has a classical façade and a sumptuous Art Deco circular entrance and box office. This leads to the main auditorium, a flat-floored hall with a U-shaped balcony and proscenium stage. The space is classically detailed with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and glazed roof lights.

Why is this theatre at risk?

Leith Theatre has been on the Theatres at Risk Register since 2016.

Leith Theatre closed in 1983 but continued to host the Edinburgh International Festival every August until 1988, after which time the building was left empty. In 2004, the City of Edinburgh Council approved the sale of the theatre for residential development – a move that was stopped by concerned locals, and from which Leith Theatre Trust was established. The council initially granted Leith Theatre Trust a five-year lease on the building, and this was extended on a rolling year basis. In September 2023 the Trust secured council approval for a 50-year lease for the building, which is currently being progressed, and which will secure its long-term future.

Although Leith Theatre Trust has been making great strides with the building being in more regular use, there is still much work to be done to enable it to open, programme, and operate on a permanent basis. This includes essential fabric repairs and the introduction of sanitation. All services within the complex are at end of life or already decommissioned. The theatre operation is still in the early stages of development and remains fragile.

Theatre potential

Leith Theatre is an ideal capacity for a mid-sized music venue in Edinburgh, sitting in an area of regeneration and high population density outside the city centre.

Since Leith Theatre Trust took over the building and has started to programme events the potential of the building has become clear. In May 2017, the building opened its doors for the Hidden Door Festival, a temporary event, but the first performance in the main auditorium for almost 30 years. The event was hugely successful and was attended by nearly 13,000 people. It proved a major turning point in the theatre’s fortunes, showcasing the potential of the venue and demonstrating its viability. The theatre has gone on to host further one-off events and for activities such as the Edinburgh International Festival, Live in Leith programme, and as a filming location for the BBC daytime series The Bidding Room.

The theatre has also been open for a variety of community activities, including celebrations and parties, classes, workshops, and small music events.

Current situation

Since taking over the building, Leith Theatre Trust has undertaken an incremental approach to the development of the organisation and the refurbishment of the building. Initial grant funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Edinburgh Council saw strategic work begin: appointing an executive director (now chief executive); initiating a feasibility study and beginning electrical capacity works; and bringing power to the building via the stage. The council pledged £1m in funding for the theatre, all of which has been drawn down throughout 2019-2024 for development and investigative works.

In May 2020, Leith Theatre Trust was awarded a Theatres Trust Theatres at Risk Capacity Building Programme grant of £11,000 to support mentoring and skills training, and a package of consultancy work to increase knowledge within the team and to strengthen Leith Theatre’s position as a viable theatre and cultural business going forward. A new chair of the board was appointed in summer 2022 to play a pivotal role in supporting the chief executive as the organisation develops and moves forward in this next phase of development.

 In mid-March 2020 the theatre closed due to Covid restrictions. While the pandemic meant the theatre was unable to hold live performances, it also presented opportunities.  The theatre received Covid emergency funding to stabilise through the pandemic. It was awarded Scottish Government’s Performing Arts Venue Relief funding and with this grant set up an in-house production arm, Live in Leith™, initially creating a series of digital gigs. The theatre also continued to play a vital role in engaging with and supporting its local community through its partnership with food poverty charity Empty Kitchens Full Hearts CIC preparing and delivering over 1.3m meals from the kitchens and Thomas Morton Hall. In late 2021 the theatre also undertook a period of consultation with a wide range of stakeholders to help plan for its future. 

Throughout 2023, as part of due diligence towards securing the building’s future, Leith Theatre Trust managed ongoing investigative and repair works, mainly in the main auditorium. The focus of this work,  was to make the building wind and watertight and to carry out first stage repairs due to water damage.

The legal work to establish a new long lease is nearing completion and due to be signed early in 2025, bringing  security to the ownership arrangements. Most importantly this will support its fundraising plans and long-term ambitions for the much-needed capital refurbishment required to open permanently as a full-time cultural venue. Leith Theatre Trust is now investment-ready and is exploring funding options that will enable it to make the improvements needed to transform the building.

Leith Theatre Trust is also continuing to build links with its community and celebrate the rich heritage of the building. In April 2024 it was awarded a grant from our Resilient Theatres: Resilient Communities programme to undertake a pilot oral history project. This work, which will be ongoing, will allow the Trust to start building a memory bank to preserve not only the building’s history but also the experiences and stories of the people who have been part of its journey.

Theatres Trust will continue to support Leith Theatre Trust as it grows in strength and capacity, helping the team achieve the ambition to restore and fully reopen the theatre as a thriving cultural asset for the local community.

Update 30 January 2025

Leith Theatre Trust has signed a 50-year lease for Leith Theatre, a significant development that gives the organisation further stability to progress the project to renovate and revive the theatre.

Update February 2025

More good news for Leith Theatre Trust. It has received an initial £250k grant to develop its capital refurbishment plans in close collaboration with The National Lottery Heritage Fund in order to secure the full remaining funding award of just over £4.2m.

Video (from 2020)

https://youtu.be/W9SEX_M_pMM

Main photo Leith Theatre, Theatres Trust. Auditorium image from Leith Theatre Trust.