SPOTLIGHT ON THE STAGE
Main Auditorium, January 2024. Photograph by Ritchie Elder Photography
Since New Year, we’ve been reflecting on the building progress made in the past year and now find ourselves at an exciting point in the journey. In our February blog 2023, we focused on the building’s health as we embarked on an ambitious year of crucial investigation and repair work. Today, we’re pleased to look back and see many of these plans and aspirations outlined in the 2023 ‘Theatre on a Health Kick’ update have become a reality!
Young Fathers at Hidden Door, 2018. Photo by Chris Scott
Leith Theatre, with its deep-rooted historical significance as a music and performance venue, boasts a vibrant and diverse catalogue of artists and bands that have graced its stage throughout the years. From the 70s heyday welcoming iconic bands like AC/DC, Kraftwerk and even the Wombles, to more recent programming giving Scottish acts like Young Fathers, Lucia and the Best Boys and Mogwai a stage to perform in Leith, the venue has been a witness to an array of genres. Amidst the ongoing building work highlighting a commitment to the venue’s preservation, many memories of its eclectic past have been rekindled amongst the Leith Theatre team.
While the building work continues, the spotlight has shifted to the heart of the Main Auditorium – it's stage. The ongoing construction and safety work is not just about physical investigations, it’s a dedication to securing the venue’s wind and watertightness and ensuring its long-term future. In December last year our aim was to introduce lights to the stage, this was planned alongside UK Rigging whose previous work to replace the grid above the stage, now allows contractors and riggers to work safely at height. With the new house lights in place, the stage is more accessible and facilitates the further work to come as we look ahead and up to more roof repairs which we can now access above the grid.
Our partnership with MacFadyen’s Preservation also led us back to the stage after the new year, where the notorious back right-hand corner had finally undergone a largescale repair. In the past, this area brought many challenges, once infamous for its permanent leaky buckets and water absorbent snake pets (not the most ideal stage companions!). While the buckets had become an oddly familiar sight and one we probably won’t forget, we’re much happier reminiscing about the legendary performers who graced the stage instead. This month, Scott from MacFadyen’s Preservation has skilfully built up the panelling to match the original stage wood and had to replace a whole door frame, one of the many backstage entry points that lends itself to the venue’s functionality.
Side by side comparison of the new plaster and replacement of the panelling.
Meanwhile, UK Rigging returned for the second phase of their work. Above the stage, there are two catwalks – one spanning from front to back and another positioned behind the PERSEVERE crest – both needing safety transformations. The removal of old, unsafe wooden timber 11.5 metres up was a job we were happy to leave to the experts. UK Rigging then installed new flooring to provide a stable foundation for future riggers and roofers accessing the area. Each little step forward is improving building health and safety but paving the way for future necessary repairs and advancements.
Since our legendary stage has hosted countless iconic artists, it’s no wonder the anticipation for the return of live acts is palpable for us and everyone who steps through our doors. The unique design boasts a raked floor that slopes upwards and away from the audience, a characteristic that audiences throughout the decades have appreciated, what’s not to love about a great view of the performers? As we move into February, the building is crying out for a deep clean – she's definitely on the messy side; with a thick trail of plaster remnants and dust throughout the Main Auditorium. Next on the agenda is snagging. We’ll see the return of the skirting boards, and the surrounding corridor on the left is set for a ceiling makeover. Goodbye danger tape, we’re looking forward to a time when it’s not the unofficial stage décor.
As we set the stage for future repairs, it’s been a joy to tip our hats to Leith Theatre’s musical past. Here’s to looking ahead to the time when we’re performance ready once again and can reminisce about each step that brought us there.