Landmark theatre needs a long-term survival plan, says Rami Okasha

SINCE we launched the Save The King’s campaign late last year, I haven’t met a single person who wants the theatre to close. Stanley Baxter, backing the campaign, has told the Evening News about his happy memories of delighting city audiences.

The King’s needs two things: immediate safety work, and a long-term vision. Any plans to sell off the theatre would be incredibly short-sighted. The city bought the King’s in 1965 to save it for its citizens and I am pretty sure that wasn’t meant to be a temporary measure.

In the past ten weeks, more than 4000 people have signed the Save the King’s petition. Councillors have been lobbied, motions have been raised in parliament and MSPs begged ministers to intervene over the threatened closure. But the campaigning paid off when all the political parties in the council voted to invest an extra £6 million in the theatre over the next three years.

That money – which just weeks earlier was said to be impossible to find – will fund safety work. We know that the ventilation system needs work and the council has known about it for months. Sanitation and fire escapes need attention, and the decor is below scratch.

But the second issue – the long-term redevelopment of the theatre – is the most exciting. The theatre wants to join forces with city schools, colleges, universities and community groups to provide hands-on training backstage and onstage.

It will take somewhere in the region of double the money pledged to completely renovate the building. The Scottish Arts Council and lottery funds are obvious partners to save this most historic of Edinburgh’s theatres.

Selling off the theatre would shatter the plan to turn the King’s into Scotland’s own Fame Academy. Imagine pupils from city schools being in the King’s, learning about lighting, music, sound, production, directing, marketing, art and design and other performing technologies.

There is growing support for a training academy where people gain skills in performing arts and technologies. The success of London’s Brit School, sponsored by the music industry, shows how serious publicly-owned performing arts colleges produce serious young talent. Nobody should say Edinburgh cannot do it too. Because the King’s only hosts shows for six months, it is ideal for a training academy.

Selling the building to a company which wants to make a fast buck would slam the door on these dreams: training doesn’t make money for shareholders. When Jenny Dawe said refurbishing the King’s was a top priority, I don’t think anyone thought selling it was what she had in mind.

Andrew Carnegie laid the foundation stone of the King’s in 1906 because he had a vision that public institutions should be properly funded. Perhaps Jenny Dawe could learn from him.

IN a career spanning six decades, he has trodden the boards across the country, leaving countless audiences in stitches.

 

But for Stanley Baxter, the fate of Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre is certainly no laughing matter.

 

The 81-year-old comic legend has told the Evening News how he fears the Grand Old Lady of Leven Street could follow other relics from the golden age of Scottish theatre by closing for good.

 

Baxter, who first appeared at the King’s in 1953 and is still remembered for his panto performance there with Ronnie Corbett in 1967, warned the city council against selling the theatre, which needs a £20 million revamp, into private hands.

 

Speaking from his London home, Baxter said: “I’ve just heard that they need £20m to save it and I pray to God the closure of the King’s doesn’t happen. It’s such a beautiful theatre – one of the few such gems still around – and to say I’m distraught would be no exaggeration. Though I’ve lived in London all these years, the King’s holds so many memories for me. I first played there in 1953 with bill topping Harry Gordon, a comedian who at the time was a household name throughout Scotland.

 

“I was back to play in panto in Edinburgh for the first time with George Lacey, an English comic who was toast of the variety theatres south of the border, and audiences in the Capital were always a sell-out.

 

“Some time in the 1960s, if memory serves me, (then owners) Howard & Wyndham wanted to sell and I begged them not to. Surely (this time) it won’t be allowed to happen.”

 

Mr Baxter believed that, if closed, it was unlikely the King’s would ever open again as a theatre and feared it might suffer the same fate as another of his haunts – Glasgow’s Alhambra Theatre, which closed in 1969 and lay derelict for two years before it was gutted by fire and demolished.

 

Mr Baxter, a Glaswegian, added: “The Alhambra was Scotland’s most beautiful theatre and ultimately was sold to be converted into offices. I’d hate that to happen to the King’s Theatre, as it’s a national treasure.”

 

Council leaders have refused to rule out selling the King’s building to help pay for the £20m refurbishment,

sparking protests from campaigners who believe the council should retain ownership of the 102-year-old building.

 

The council has pledged to put £6m towards the revamp, and any offer to buy it would only be considered on the basis that it is retained as a theatre.

 

A council spokesman said there was “no appetite whatsoever” to use the King’s as anything other than a theatre venue.

 

Council leader Jenny Dawe said: “If approached by anyone regarding the King’s we would consider it alongside other options.

 

We are currently exploring the full range of options for improvements to the King’s with the Festival City Theatres Trust and this could include both private and public funding sources.”

IT is to be assumed that when council leader Jenny Dawe talks about the possible sale of the King’s Theatre she means as a going concern.

Although with £20 million of work required to bring it up to standard she may struggle to find anyone willing to take on such a mammoth undertaking.

Despite the massive programme of modernisation required on the 100-year-old building the King’s remains a viable business. It stages one of the most popular shows in the city – the annual Christmas Panto – and retains a key role in staging major drama during the International Festival.

But its success is largely due to its diversity as a venue where it has cornered a niche market in popular productions which have seen many household names including the likes of Nigel Havers, Penelope Keith and Felicity Kendall tread the boards in recent productions.

In doing so it performs a different function from the other city venues and provides a perfect foil for the cutting-edge drama which often features at the Lyceum, opera and dance at the Festival, blockbuster productions and big name acts at the Playhouse and classical concerts at the Usher Hall.

As such, the theatre is more than worthy of support and of the council’s best efforts to find a solution to keep it open.

The most likely option would be to seek to broker a similar deal to that which has proved successful for its namesake in Glasgow where the London-based Ambassador Theatre Group has taken over the running of the King’s while the council retains ownership. This has not only proved a winning formula commercially but through the partnership money is being found to continually upgrade the venue.

With Edinburgh city council having set aside £6.5m in last month’s budget to improve the King’s, perhaps this investment may provide the carrot to woo a would-be partner and share the costs of improving the much loved building. But if control is handed over it must be on the strict caveat that the building is used for no other purpose than as a theatre. Even the merest suggestion by Jenny Dawe that it might be sold off has been enough to spark concern. Today Stanley Baxter leads the calls for its future to be secured.

With so many venues seemingly available it would be wrong to say that the King’s would not be missed, as it plays a key role during the Festival. Damage the Festivals and the whole city is damaged and that is something that no-one can countenance.

AUDIENCES are to be warned about ventilation problems at Edinburgh’s historic King’s Theatre after the lack of air caused people to faint.

 

A report obtained by the Evening News reveals the “almost complete lack of ventilation” at the 102-year-old venue has become a recurring problem for audiences, artists and staff.

 

The ageing theatre suffers from low temperatures on stage, high temperatures in the upper circle, and lacks air movement throughout the auditorium. This causes discomfort for the public, particularly during the busy festival and pantomime seasons.

 

A private meeting was held late last year between the Festival City Theatres Trust, the city council and consultants. The minutes, released to the News through freedom of information laws, detail plans to give audiences “advance notification” of the ventilation problems, both through booking systems and signs in the building. Warnings are likely to be necessary when the audience is at full capacity or on hot days.

 

The news comes as city leader Jenny Dawe today admitted the council would “consider” any private bids to buy the theatre, which is in need of a major revamp.

A city council spokesman said: “As is the case with most venues, on warmer days parts of the theatre naturally heat up – usually the seats in the upper reaches. This should not cause a problem if managed effectively.

 

“We have budgeted for a £6 million investment in the King’s, which will improve air circulation amongst other things, but in the meantime we are confident that the situation is being managed very well by the theatre.”

 

The minutes of the meeting said the King’s poor ventilation “presented on-going operational problems, sometimes giving rise to accidents on the part of members of staff and/or fainting on the part of members of the public”.

 

Evidence of dry and damp rot was also identified, and there is a “significant” presence of asbestos, which has been safely enclosed.

 

The future of the King’s Theatre was called into question last year amid fears it would fail to comply with health and safety regulations within two years, unless upgrading work was carried out.

 

However, this study, and a separate analysis, concluded there was “nothing deemed likely to cause closure of the theatre”.

 

A spokeswoman for the theatre trust said: “Any immediate recommendations made in (the health and safety] report have been dealt with and, as previously stated, there are no health and safety issues affecting the welfare of audience members or staff.”

 

Council officials are currently awaiting a report on the cultural needs of the Capital, which will help shape the long-term future of the King’s and other venues.

 

Although the council has not been approached, city leader Jenny Dawe today said: “If approached by anyone regarding the King’s we would consider it alongside other options.”

CAMPAIGNERS fighting for the future of the King’s Theatre today welcomed the injection of £6 million for a refurbishment.

 

The future of the 102-year-old venue had been called into question amid fears it would fail to comply with safety regulations within two years.

But in the Lib Dem/SNP administration’s first budget, approved on Thursday, cash has been set aside to get a major redevelopment project under way. A full scale revamp of the theatre is currently estimated at around £20m, however the £6m should pay for either a small-scale project or help entice other bodies to commit further funds.

Rami Okasha, co-ordinator of the Save The King’s Campaign, left, said: “It is good that the huge public campaign led to cross-party support to save the King’s. Hopefully this will be enough to save the building in the short term.”

Time is right to save the King’s Theatre

Thousands petition the Council to act

Campaigners in Edinburgh have called on the Council to use Thursday’s budget to bring forward money to refurbish the King’s Theatre. The call comes as organisers of the Save the King’s petition reveal that it has attracted the support of nearly 4,000 city residents.

The trust that runs the King’s Theatre for the council has previously warned that it would be forced to close if urgent repairs are not made within the next two years. Sanitation, fire escapes and disability access are the most pressing concerns to be addressed.

Last May, Jenny Dawe, leader of the city council, promised that refurbishing the King’s Theatre would be a “top priority”, but the council has since watered down its commitment. Edinburgh’s budget day on Thursday will see councillors vote on their priorities for the year ahead.

Rami Okasha, co-ordinator of the Save The King’s Campaign, said: “This is the chance for the council to do what it said it would. Councillors need to put their money where their mouth is and vote through the funding needed to refurbish this Edinburgh institution. We must judge the Council by what it does, not just what it says. The plan to use the theatre as a training venue for youngsters is one everyone should support.

The petition has been available online and scores of Tollcross shops have encouraged their customers to sign the paper version. Tollcross Traders’ Association has encouraged its members to support the campaign because many local restaurants and bars depend on the King’s for business. Over 3,800 people have signed the petition, including former performers and backstage crew. New signatures are being added daily.

“The level of public support for the King’s is huge,” said Rami Okasha. “People have been crossing the road to sign the petition and others have been writing to us asking for copies of the petition to take round their neighbours and colleagues. If councillors fail to support the King’s on Thursday, Edinburgh residents will remember that with anger when they go to the panto next year. Hopefully it won’t be their last.”

Ends.

Notes to editors

1. The Labour group on the Council has identified £6 million for the King’s Theatre in their alternative budget (Edinburgh Evening News, 18 February). Save the King’s is now calling on all political parties to bring forward measures to guarantee the future of the King’s Theatre.

Money is there to secure King’s future for decades, says Rami Okasha

I REALLY hope Councillor Deidre Brock is right when she says the immediate threat to the King’s Theatre has been lifted. Her evidence – that the electrics are not as bad as thought – is good news but not conclusive.

Knowing that electrics are in working order does not guarantee the future of a theatre. Short-term health and safety concerns still need to be addressed such as sanitation, fire escapes, technical facilities, wheelchair access, and the general state of repair.

And unless long-term decisions are made soon, the latest development is little more than a stay of execution. That isn’t just my view: the council’s own report says: “the do nothing option could lead to the King’s winding down towards closure.”

Last May, the council leader promised that restoring the King’s would be a top priority. But just six months later, the council deferred any decision on the King’s until 2010-11 at the earliest. The reason? No funding was available.

But there have been developments. We now know that the money from what was previously called the Cities Growth Fund is not going to be axed. What that means in practice is that the council will have over £10 million a year for the next three years intended for capital projects to improve the life of the city. Not all that money will be spent on the culture budget, and there are many important leisure projects – such as improving pitches and pavilions across the city – that deserve funding. But the King’s Theatre, too, deserves a portion of that extra cash.

Think of what just a little of that money could do to help the King’s. With funding from other sources – the lottery fund, for example – the building could be made safe for decades, not just months. There could be new seating and better disabled access. Improved back-of-house facilities for performers would attract more big-name acts, touring companies and bands.

But most exciting of all is the plan to turn the venue into a training academy, so people can gain the skills needed in major cultural cities like Edinburgh. The theatres want to join forces with schools, colleges, universities and community groups to deliver hands-on experience backstage and onstage. Imagine pupils being in the theatre, getting the chance to learn about lighting, sound, production, directing, marketing and all the other skills the arts need to survive.

These are grand plans indeed, requiring vision, money, and political leadership. As a city, Edinburgh has never lacked vision. It looks like we have money. The leadership will be recognising that extra money makes it possible to bring forward decisions on how to spend it.

The council must listen to the thousands who have signed the petition to save the theatre. The King’s is the best-loved theatre in Scotland, let’s now make it the best.

• Rami Okasha is co-ordinating the Save the King’s campaign

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): Has the Scottish Government discussed with the City of Edinburgh Council the parlous state of the King’s theatre, which is of such concern not only to the thousands of people at home and abroad who flock there each year but to those involved in planning its future as a theatre and training academy? Will the Government impress on its Scottish National Party colleagues in the city’s administration that the council must take action very soon to begin the theatre’s refurbishment and that yesterday’s positive news about one aspect of the theatre’s problems does not mean that the council can sit back and do nothing for the next two years?

John Swinney: I am quite sure that members of the City of Edinburgh Council will actively consider the question of the King’s theatre’s future use and role and the state of its fabric. The council is wrestling with a number of infrastructure difficulties in relation to the King’s theatre, the Commonwealth pool and other facilities. Such issues figure significantly in council members’ minds.

The Government is very happy to continue its discussions with the council on a variety of issues. I should point out to Mr Chisholm that the city is receiving significant investment from the Government for a number of infrastructure projects, including a certain transport scheme with which he will be very familiar.

The Save The King’s Campaign welcomes the news that this one aspect of the theatre is in better condition than previously thought, but has warned against complacancy.

The report, which has not been made public by the Council, did not appear to consider fire safety, disabled access and sanitation – other key safety concerns for the theatre.

The Council also continues to defer a decision on the future funding of the theatre until 2010-11, despite financial developments which makes it possible to take an earlier decision.