Lemon Tree is set to bear fruit again

Published on Saturday 17 May 2008 19:38

ONE of Scotland's leading arts venues is set to rise from the ashes and reopen its doors within weeks.

The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen, which helped launch the careers of Franz Ferdinand, Idlewild and the Delgados, closed in December following several years of funding difficulties.

But now the venue will reopen on June 20 with a series of celebratory events – headlined by the acclaimed Fife musician King Creosote.

The new owners, a charitable trust, have pledged that the reborn Lemon Tree will become a hub of edgy drama – and have already commissioned a play about the Piper Alpha disaster.

Aberdeen Performing Arts (APA) has also pledged to get the centre's finances into shape and has revealed plans to transfer the running of the loss-making catering operation to a charity which works with vulnerable youngsters.

The Lemon Tree, which opened in 1992, gained a reputation as one of Scotland's best loved venues for music, theatre, drama, comedy and dance.

But the council-run centre, which employed more than 50 staff, went into liquidation after the Scottish Arts Council withdrew an 180,000 grant.

APA will run the new slimmed-down operation with five managers and 20 staff – reducing the wage bill from more than 500,000 to around 300,000.

The centre is also going to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster with a new play.

Lest We Forget, by Granite City playwright Mike Gibb, will run for five nights.

APA chief executive Duncan Hendry said: "One of our aims at the Lemon Tree is to present new work that has a connection with the north-east.

"We want it become a venue for new drama and want to help develop new actors, writers, designers and directors."