Leith Theatre takes centre stage

Janet Christie’s Mum’s the Word
PIC PHIL WILKINSON.TSPL / JOHNSTON PRESS

JANET CHRISTIE ,  MAGAZINE WRITERPIC PHIL WILKINSON.TSPL / JOHNSTON PRESS

JANET CHRISTIE ,  MAGAZINE WRITER
PIC PHIL WILKINSON.TSPL / JOHNSTON PRESS JANET CHRISTIE , MAGAZINE WRITER

I love the Festival, the shows, the boost to the local economy, am happy to oblige tourists’ requests to snap their Instas with the Castle in the background and have a chat (“Yes, they do put the castle up every year for the Festival,” and “yes, they have thought of having the Festival in the summer, this IS the summer”), but this year after turning into a city centre street gridlock Grinch I’ve voted with my feet

It was trying to get to the Mound from the Grassmarket that did it, a quick pelt up Granny’s Green Steps, a race past the Castle, a side to side through the chicane and down to Assembly on The Mound. But Tabard Woman said no. “Only if you’re going to the Tattoo.” Now I love clever dogs and synchronised piping Mounties as much as anyone, but another time, so could I just slip through. No. Cue my face-like-a-skelped-buttock-Edinburgh-resident-stomp down the Lawnmarket around the LONG way. Hmph. I’ll get my festival fix closer to home in Leith.

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Luckily the EIF has been reaching out into parts of the city where other culture vultures didn’t historically venture and last year made the sensible decision to use Leith Theatre.

Opened in 1932, a gift from Edinburgh to Leith in return for, well Leith, this iconic art deco former Leith Town Hall building survived a direct bomb hit 1941, the AC/DC Lock Up Your Daughters tour and countless nuptials (llamas to Lord of the Rings, you name it). Now thanks to community activists who started the Leith Theatre Trust to preserve and develop the building, Leith Theatre’s class act main hall is hosting gigs again.

This year brought storming EIF shows that included Kate Tempest, Neneh Cherry, Anna Calvi, Teenage Fanclub, Sharon Van Etten (with a rendition of Sunshine on Leith), while Jarvis Cocker invited us to join him “taking Leith of our senses” and dance like Cockers.

But fun needs funds, so check out the Leith Theatre website and support it however you can. Because a venue is not just for the Festival, it’s for Leith and everyone else, and it’s right here, right now. And did I say it’s easy to get to…

www.leiththeatretrust.org