A Theatre On a Health Kick

Not to be left out when it comes to a good old New Year detox, in true January fashion we have been looking a little more closely at our building’s general health. It makes for a unique journey through the innards of this characterful heritage building, and we would like to share some of it with you. 

First thing to report is that we did not escape the pre-Christmas winter freeze and thaw unscathed: December saw us paddling in icy water on three floors backstage. Fortunately, many folk came to the rescue, including our neighbours at The Biscuit Factory, who helped fill a distinct dehumidifier-shaped hole as lots of buildings throughout the city also coped with cracked pipes. January found the spaces much transformed, and it is hard to believe that only one month has passed between the two states.

Speaking of water, we have renewed regular meetings with our architects since the start of the new year and, together, we continue to map essential works. The meetings are always a delight, even if the subject matter can sometimes revolve around toilets and sanitation. One particular visit saw us tracking pipes from old water tanks, to begin to comprehend what it would mean to remove them and how future water supply could look. Who knew water tanks were so interesting?

The boiler room is the beating heart of the building, even in its current form, which is admittedly not peak condition. There are logistical complications that come with the cross-decade patchwork that is our heating system, some components still operating and others having been decommissioned. The doctor might prescribe a diet of good fats and no bacon, but our way forward is blue sky thinking: what do future sustainable, green solutions look like and how can we support interim solutions for now? 

Fire safety, security, and even IT mapping collectively whir away, the hive mind of the theatre. For a clean bill of health, we have been looking at future improvements to these existing systems and how we can get them communicating with each other to work in better harmony. Electrical works also play a vital role in our next steps: ripping out old wiring and replacing old switch units - even in mostly non-public parts of the building - is a huge step forward in our development; our improving nervous system is undetectable to all but the keenest eye.

Naturally, the structural integrity of the building is crucial to its longevity and our preservation efforts. Well, it seems like that famed Leith sunshine over the last 90 years has done some good, as the venue’s bones are strong; George Brown & Sons will testify to that, having been in to carry out their regular service and certification of the main auditorium ceiling anchor points. We also commissioned work to re-test the load weight of our grid beams above the stage, with the aim of planning future improvements. It’s been great to have so many experts in the house (and all with a head for heights…)

More safe hands and heads were to be found up on the roof early last month too, examining the outer layers of the building which has, at times, been a little less than flawless… An abundance of flat roof from the old 1930’s design means that silt build-up in drainage pipes can cause real problems. January saw us giving the roof and downpipes a major overhaul, with two days of jet hosing and cleaning hoppers. Akin to giving yourself the occasional facial, we can now be completely across essential preventative maintenance works. It also allowed us to assess roof weak-spots, so we can cost up and consider what our priority repairs need to be in times ahead.

There is always various internal repair work and maintenance taking place too. One of our current aims is to fix a damaged corner in one of the chorus rooms – think of it as a wee filling – and perhaps replace a small amount of the parquet with some from an out-of-the-way cupboard. We look forward to giving all those floors a good buff (or a full scale and polish) to make that parquet shine.

The air may be cold as we creep into February, but we can breathe easy knowing that we are using our winter to dive more deeply into our research and investigation and staying on top of maintenance and future plans for the building.

Speaking of lungs, our explorations also uncovered some secret hiding places of yesteryear: the old ventilation shafts came complete with vintage cigarette packets… Woodbine, anyone?

Whether you are on a health kick yourself or prefer to join us by just revelling in our building’s progress, all at Leith Theatre wish you a happy and hearty start to the new year.

After all, what’s anything without a little soul?