Brian Cox, Alan Cumming and Gabriel Byrne are among the stars lending their support to safeguard an iconic Edinburgh venue for future generations.
The King’s Theatre is currently playing host to its last performances before closing for redevelopment work, but a funding gap has emerged that puts its future in jeopardy.
In the current economic climate, the project is now likely to cost 20-30% more than the original £25 million budget fundraised by Capital Theatres.
The venue’s operators warned that the King’s could close its doors for good if the funding gap is not closed by December.
Fiona Gibson CEO of Capital Theatres said: “As the Edinburgh International Festival closes we’re scheduled to begin the capital redevelopment of the King’s Theatre to turn it into both a thriving community hub, fully accessible to audiences and performers, and a world class venue, while maintaining its history and heritage.
“However, as with all construction projects in the UK currently, we are facing new challenges because of delays in supply chain caused by changing trading agreements, global conflict and increasing levels of inflation. Due to these factors, we estimate that the project costs will increase by between 20% and 30%.”
The £25m raised so far has come as a result of grants from the Scottish Government, the City of Edinburgh Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as donations from the theatre’s patrons and donors, companies and trusts.
Capital Theatres also made their own contribution and held a crowdfunding campaign.
Gibson said: “We are incredibly proud of the collective effort to reach this figure.
“We’ve examined our options and we cannot reduce the project cost any further by value engineering and to delay the redevelopment could lead to even higher costs in the long-term, putting the entire project at risk.
“If this funding gap is not closed before December 2022, the last opportunity for us to give the go-head, the King’s could close its doors forever.
“We are in close contact with all our key public funders and hope to secure additional support to ensure that this transformative redevelopment for Tollcross, Edinburgh and Scottish Theatre can proceed as planned, and a better, brighter King’s Theatre can reopen its doors for generations to come.”
The calls for assistance for the theatre have been backed by Succession star Cox, who is an honorary patron of the venue.
The veteran actor hailed the King’s crucial role as part of the festival and also in supporting Scottish theatre all year round.
Cox said: “It’s in August that we are reminded how vital The King’s Theatre is to the Edinburgh International Festival which over the years has played host to Juliette Binoche, Fiona Shaw and this year Alan Cumming and Gabriel Byrne.
“But for the rest of the year it’s vital to the Scottish Theatre ecology and a key touring venue which brings a variety of genres to the central belt; not to mention a source of comfort and joy in panto season.
“Without the planned transformational redevelopment improving access, preserving heritage and opening the building up to the community, the King’s will close its doors forever.
“After a hugely successful fundraising effort to reach the original budgeted cost of 25 million, we cannot let the rising costs due to inflation, trade agreements and global conflict put the project in peril. We must save the King’s for future generations.”
Cumming, who starred in Burn at the theatre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival this year, said: “The King’s Theatre is integral to the cultural health and wellbeing of the people of Edinburgh, and indeed Scotland. It brings us together in the Winter via the annual pantomime and it welcomes citizens of the world every August during the festival.
“This year, I was back at the King’s with Burn and it reminded me how much I love this old beauty. But, she could do with a facelift and a pretty thorough makeover. Please, urgent funding is needed to help preserve the magic of the King’s.”
Byrne, star of Walking With Ghosts, the final production to be held at the venue before the work is due to start, said: “It’s such a wonderful honour to be in the unique position of being the last person to perform on the stage of this amazing theatre which has a history going back years and years.
“I’ve always thought of a theatre as being somewhat like a church, it has a spiritual connotation and there’s energy trapped inside it of all the people who’ve sat here and laughed and have been touched and have been changed by what they’ve seen on the stage. That’s why a theatre is incredibly important to a city. In fact, it’s the spiritual lifeblood of the city.
“To preserve a theatre is being a good ancestor. It’s saying we need this, we value this and we’re passing it on to the next generation. Anything that can be done to preserve The King’s Theatre and give it new life has to be done. For it to not survive would be a tragedy for the audiences and for the city itself.”
James Thieree, star of Room presented at The King’s as part of Edinburgh International Festival this year, said: “I have a very huge affection for The King’s Theatre – it feels like a vessel that’s been on the sea for many years. I feel theatres like these are the real temples today – of the mind, of the imagination – and they have to be taken care of, cherished and protected.”
The King’s Theatre, which seats 1,300, hosts a wide variety of shows including the very best in drama, dance, musical theatre, live music, comedy and pantomime.
Fergus Linehan, Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, said: “There wouldn’t be an International Festival if there wasn’t a King’s Theatre, because it is here that so many of the signature moments of the Festival have taken place. We want to make sure that our premier theatre space in the city is appropriate for the way theatre, dance and opera tours now, and ensure they don’t leapfrog over Edinburgh.
“As a city and a country we must invest in The King’s. Any responsible cultural sector must both make sure the next season is coming, but also to think 10, 20 years down the line to ensure that what we’ve enjoyed will still be there in the future.”
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