Backstage Female Chorus Room
Once a hub of activity and creativity, the backstage, top-floor space known as The Female Chorus Room has hosted a myriad of events.
From festival and band green rooms to crowdfunder high teas, and even as the golden backdrop for Live In Leith sets featuring Lizzie Reid and LOTOS, this generously sized room with an accompanying bar has seen it all. However, behind its vibrant history, the room was concealing significant decay and structural issues.
Despite its trendy paint colors and felt window covers, the room's true state was hidden by temporary fixes.
Sheets of MDF masked crumbling plaster, and guttering and external pipework had caused water damage to the walls.
Large mirrors and strategically placed furniture hid areas of rotten parquet flooring.
The final blow came in Winter 2022, when burst pipes from unattached cast iron radiators flooded the room and the two floors below. The aftermath required months of using a large dehumidifier to dry out the old, unheated building.
This year, The Female Chorus Room finally received the attention it deserved.
In preparation for hosting Nigel Havers in the Evaluation Room for BBC1’s The Bidding Room (Series 7), all temporary fixtures were removed, and the old plasterwork was replaced. External pipes were refitted, followed by a weekend of painting and electrical repairs to bring the room back to its former glory.
Today, the Female Chorus Room is not only watertight and naturally warmer but also exudes a fresher atmosphere. The room is now a dark green canvas, ready to be dressed in treasures for the BBC shoot and future events.
