THE actors Alan Cumming and Brian Cox have issued a plea to save an Edinburgh theatre from closure.
The King’s Theatre on Leven Street is facing an uncertain future after it emerged that the costs of refurbishing the venue would be 20% to 30% higher than the original £25 million budget.
If the funding gap cannot be bridged then the theatre is at risk of closure as its facilities must be brought up to modern accessibility standards.
Earlier this month the venue hosted the dance-theatre show Burn starring Alan Cumming.
Cox, who is an honorary patron of the theatre, said that the venue is a “vital” part of the Edinburgh International Festival.
He 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.
“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 £25m, 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 added that the venue, which first opened its doors in 1906, was in need of sprucing up if it was to continue playing a central role in the festival.
“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. Please, urgent funding is needed to help preserve the magic of the King’s.”
James Thieree, star of Room, presented at the King’s as part of Edinburgh International Festival this year, said the theatre felt like a “vessel that’s been on the sea for many years”.
He added: “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.”
Fiona Gibson, chief executive of Capital Theatres, said that delays in the supply chain and increasing inflation had resulted in the shortfall.
“We estimate that the project costs will increase by between 20% and 30%,” she said.
“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-ahead, the King’s could close its doors forever.
“Nearly all the original capital cost estimate of £25 million to transform the King’s is in place thanks to grants from the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund; generous donations from our patrons and donors, companies and trusts; as well as Capital Theatres’ own contribution and our recent Crowdfunder.
“We are incredibly proud of the collective effort to reach this figure."
