New public funding plea to finish Edinburgh theatre revamp
And it not known if the King's will definitely be able to reopen as planned in 2026 – the 120th anniversary of the venue.
Read more:
Management of the venue, which has played host to stars like Noel Coward, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Simon Callow, Maria Callas, Ian McKellen, Rikki Fulton and Sean Connery, say they are unable to provide an update on either the funding or timeline of the project as ongoing discussions are 'commercially sensitive.'
The crucial behind-the-scenes negotiations have emerged despite the project - which is expected to improve facilities for staff, visiting performers and audiences - receiving a previous £9m bailout from the UK and Scottish governments, and the city council.
A ground-floor cafe-bar is being created as part of the project to overhaul the King's Theatre in Edinburgh. (Image: Anneleen Lindsay)
The King's, which has been known for decades as "The Old Lady of Leven Street," was said to be at risk of closing is doors for good before a deal was agreed following months of campaigning and lobbying at the start of 2023.
The cost of the project had already soared from £20m when detailed designs were revealed in 2018 to more than £35m by the time the previous rescue package was secured.
A new fly tower has been created at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh. (Image: John Robb)
However its costs have increased increasingly since then, with management at the King's blaming the scale and 'immense complexity' of the project.
Capital Theatres, the arts charity which runs the King's on behalf of the city council, which owns the building, has been planning a full-scale refurbishment project since 2017.
A full-scale refurbishment of the King's Theatre in Edinburgh has been ongoing since February 2023. (Image: Anneleen Lindsay)
Key elements include installing a new stage, backstage facilities, fly tower, lifts and stairwells, creating a new ground-floor café-bar and box office, refurbishing bar and foyer areas, and converting space in the top of the building into a studio space for workshops, classes and events.
However plans to reopen the building for summer, including a run of Edinburgh International Festival shows, were scrapped last October due to the programme of works taking much longer than planned. The announcement also meant that the annual King's pantomime would not be returning to the King's as planned this Christmas.
Key factors included the discovery of "bedrock" much closer to the surface of the area earmarked for one of the new lifts, the complexity of the demolition of previous staircases and the old fly tower, a number of design changes and the need to bring in a new sub-contractor.
An update posted on the Capital Theatres website earlier this month stated that 'significant strides' were being made on the King's project, including on the new café-bar, which will extend the footprint of the building and the top-floor 'creative engagement studio.'
However councillors met behind closed doors earlier this week to discuss a request for 'additional funding' for the King's project. The local authority has since refused to discuss whether it has agreed any new funding for the project or how much it is expected to cost to complete all the remaining work.
Around £10m in additional funding had to be found by the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council to finish off a long-delayed overhaul for the Citizens Theatre, which has been closed since 2018 but is finally due to reopen in September of this year.
The King's has been closed since the end of the 2022 Edinburgh International Festival and was intended to reopen in the summer 2023. However the project was significantly delayed by the Covid pandemic and soaring construction industry costs.
Stars including Brian Cox, Alan Cumming and Gabriel Byrne launched a campaign to bridge the previous £8.9m funding gap, which was resolved in time to allow work to start in February 2023.
A spokeswoman for Capital Theatres told The Herald: 'Significant progress has been made to fulfil the key objectives of the project.
'The scaffolding on the east side of the building has been taken down, with the newly extended fly tower now visible in all its glory. In the heart of the theatre, all partition walls for the stage basement have now been constructed.
'The installation of the new stage floor is now underway. The auditorium and plant room are also steadily taking shape and, once completed, the internal scaffolding will be removed to reveal the full extent of these newly developed spaces.
'The project features a brand-new street-level café to support the role of the King's as a thriving community hub. The new internal café floor has been installed, and the external groundworks have been completed. The recently dug-out basement has now been re-enclosed following the installation of steel beams and metal decking.
'All of this enables the forthcoming construction of the external café structure, the enlarged basement-level toilets and the kitchen to support the new café and bars.
'The brand-new creative engagement studio is currently a hive of activity, with work underway to install partition walls, plumbing for new toilets, ventilation and electrical fittings.
' The feature window on a staircase to the north side of the building is now fully installed. This allows natural light to flood the stairwell on the north side of the building. The walls of the new stairwells have been dry lined, with tiling on the wall into the auditorium currently underway. The stairs themselves will be installed over the summer.
'Expert conservation work on John Byrne's iconic dome design has been completed, ensuring that this significant piece of public art is protected.'
When the most recent delays for the project were announced last October, Capital Theatres chief executive Fiona Gibson said it was being handled with 'the utmost care and dedication to ensure the long-term success of the theatre.'
She said at the time: 'The King's Theatre restoration project is not just a refurbishment.
'It is a once-in-a-lifetime transformation of one of Edinburgh's most beloved cultural landmarks. We are committed to achieving our vision to deliver a fully accessible, high-quality venue that will serve future generations.'
The Capital Theatres spokeswoman told The Herald: 'There are ongoing discussions with all of our funders to close our existing funding gap. We cannot give a more precise update at this stage because this is commercially sensitive.'
The city council said it was unable to discuss any details of the negotiations it has been having on the King's project.
However council leader Jane Meagher said: 'The King's Theatre is an Edinburgh institution and integral part of our cultural landscape, entertaining generations of residents and visitors for more than a century.
'As one of only a handful of surviving Edwardian theatres still operational in the UK, this painstaking and much-needed redevelopment will preserve its unique heritage while also modernising its spaces and improving accessibility for all.
'We continue to offer our full support to the project and, like many, I can't wait for 'The Old Lady' to reopen her doors and welcome audiences back for the next 100 years, and beyond.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
19 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Celebrate creativity and community at the EOW Summer Makers Market
With a unique mix of handmade goods including clothing, jewellery, illustrations, pottery, woodwork, glass art, and more, this year's market promises to be a fun, family-friendly day out in the heart of Leith. Enjoy exploring the EOW workshop space or try your hand at using the laser cutter to personalise a custom made piece and take home your one-of-a-kind creation. Tasty street food and refreshments from Gringo Supper Club, Ms Crème de la Cream, and A Cup Above will be available throughout the day, served in EOW's outdoor seating area. Visitors can relax, refuel, and soak up the atmosphere (and hopefully a bit of Scottish sunshine). Entry is just £1, and 100% of proceeds, including door donations, table fees, and £2 raffle ticket sales, will go directly to EOW's 'Buy Time for a Maker' Bursary Fund, which supports affordable access to classes, memberships, and workspace for creatives from all backgrounds. Jessi James, Development Manager at Edinburgh Open Workshop, said: "This market is not just a celebration of local talent – it's about making creativity accessible. Our Bursary Programme has helped many people take their first steps into making, and every pound raised helps us continue that mission. We're proud to provide a platform for local creatives while building a more inclusive, supportive environment for makers." A raffle of EOW and donated items will be held at 3.30pm. Tickets can be purchased on the day for a donation. for more information. 2 . Contributed Child visiting the Makers Market at EOW Photo: Submitted Photo Sales
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
The time Trump reviewed Citizen Kane and revealed too much of himself
Yet there are rare moments when this side reaches the surface, and it can feel quite startling, as if he has maybe revealed too much of himself. Times when he has spoken about his brother Fred, for one, whose alcoholism led to an early death that greatly influenced the trajectory of the younger Trump. Glimpses into his personal grief are fleeting, but they expose a man who, beneath his bravado, is deeply shaped by his fear of being rendered powerless. Read more: Think of all the great art we'll get from a Trump win… But there's an even stranger instance of Trump revealing his vulnerable side, and it's when, in 2002, he reviewed his favourite film – the 1941 Orson Welles-directed Citizen Kane. It's not hard to see why the film resonates so much with Trump. Its portrayal of Charles Foster Kane – a wealthy, ambitious, and arrogant media mogul whose life is marked by power, betrayal, and isolation – has drawn plenty of comparisons with the President. Throughout his review, Trump makes it clear that he sees Kane as a stand-in for himself. 'The wealth, the sorrow, the unhappiness, the happiness, just struck lots of different notes,' he muses. He finds solace in Kane's struggles with the pursuit of success and wealth, rather than the cautionary tale Welles intended, pointing out telling moments like Kane and his wife sitting further apart at the dinner table the more his power mutates and grows. It is transparent that Trump sees parallels to his own personal life in these moments, and he sees Kane as that rare someone who can actually understand him. 'In real life I believe that wealth does in fact isolate you from other people. It's a protective mechanism. You have your guard up much more than you would if you didn't have wealth.' His reading is rather revealing, even if he misses much of the film's subtext. Citizen Kane is a tragedy about a man who sacrifices love and humanity in pursuit of power, only to die alone, lamenting his lost innocence. Yet Trump doesn't recoil from Kane's fate; he relates to it. He recognises Kane's isolation not as a direct result of his actions and mindset, but as a protective mechanism. It is as if Trump sees Kane as a muse, a kindred spirit that he in some way must protect lest it reflect badly on himself. It's a telling inversion, where a critique of wealth and power is instead embraced as a necessary defence against a hostile world. Errol Morris, who directed the segment featuring Trump's review, later remarked on the strange dissonance between the film's intent and Trump's interpretation, the clash between the obvious meaning behind Kane's character and Trump's completely analogous take. 'If I were Donald Trump, I would not want to emphasise that connection with Kane. You know, a megalomaniac in love with power and crushing everything in his path. The inability to have friends, the inability to find love,' the documentarian observed. Read more: Trump film tariff proves Scottish film cannot afford to sell out to Hollywood Trump changes the reasons he loves Citizen Kane over time, and it always runs in sync with his own narrative. When speaking on the film during his 2016 presidential campaign, he focused on the sharp turn the media took against Kane, likening it to his own media onslaught at the time. In that reading, Kane becomes a fellow 'fake news' martyr, unjustifiably persecuted. Like most things with Trump, his reading of Citizen Kane is less about the film and more about himself. He doesn't see a warning; he sees a mirror. And in that reflection, he finds validation – even in the parts that should give him pause. The film explores how fetishising success can become a hollow pitfall in wait, yet to Trump, it just makes Kane a misunderstood man. It is peculiar that through the endless observations of Trump, the millions of words out of his mouth that have been documented and spread, we begin to get closer to how his internal world works through his grasp of a film's meaning and what becomes accidentally revealed through that. His relationship with Citizen Kane speaks loudly about his own relationship with power, where the spectre of tragedy is just an inevitability of that process. Of course, by the end of the review, the Trump we all know returns. Trump's reply when asked what advice he would give Kane, a man of a similar disposition? 'Get yourself a different woman'.
STV News
3 hours ago
- STV News
It's no surprise Texas are back at Belladrum, they've always oozed cool
I grew up loving Texas and, in particular, Sharleen Spiteri. To me, she oozed cool. She looked so different from anyone else I'd seen on TV – beautiful with an edge – and her voice was incredible. I liked how she looked like she wouldn't stand for any nonsense – I'm putting that politely there. And she was Scottish – instantly my hero. I told her I thought this the first time I interviewed her a few years ago (fangirled) to which she loudly laughed, saying: 'I was not cool! I was a geek!' Geek or not, she's been making music with Texas for almost 40 years and can't wait to hit the road again this summer with a host of festival performances across Europe on the cards. 'I'm laughing. I'm calling it my four-day week. My four-day week tour,' said Spiteri. 'That's the dream. It's the total dream. I say to the family: 'It's like I work Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Any other day don't annoy me because I'll be recuperating.'' Among those festival dates is a return to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in the Highlands, where Texas will headline on Saturday August 2, celebrating 21 years of the northern soiree. 'It's such a good festival and the last time we played I think was 2011,' said Spiteri. 'And I have to say I'm really proud that we were in there quite early and that we've been invited back. 'I really enjoy playing in the open air – I love playing with the wind in your face. You get plenty of that at Balladrum!' It's no surprise Texas have been invited back though. With a plethora of hits including Black Eyed Boy, I Don't Want a Lover and Halo, to name but a few, the band provide the perfect singalong vibe for all ages. Never was this more prevalent than when they played two nights at the Hydro last year. Despite having performed on some of the most revered stages around the world, including an amazing Glastonbury performance, Sharleen admitted the Hydro moment was special. 'The first night we walked out on stage, we couldn't hear,' she said. 'The crowd were so loud. It was like a wave of love. I feel emotional even talking about it now.' Emotions were especially high for Sharleen due to two important faces being absent in the crowd. Having lost both her parents in the past few years, she said: 'My mum and dad would have been so proud.' The fact they're no longer here truly hits home for Sharleen whenever she returns to Glasgow, but her sister and family are always on hand with home comforts to help. 'That's what I like to do,' said Spiteri. 'I go to my sister's. Last night, after rehearsals, she got a pot of soup on and a slice of plain bread with loads of butter.' Sounds pretty perfect. And when she's not working? Sharleen likes to unwind in her garden proudly showing off her gardener's tan. She joked: 'I look like a blubbery zebra when I take my clothes off!' That I very much doubt, but I love her self-deprecating style. I also love that she chatted away for ages before the interview actually began, discussing our ailments, children and putting the world to rights! Down-to-earth, interested and interesting – you can say what you want but Sharleen is truly a class act. Bring on Belladrum in August. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
