Edinburgh Playhouse: Difference between revisions
rm uncited for over 6 months and fix title case |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[Image:Edinburgh playhouse.JPG|thumb|310px|The Edinburgh Playhouse sign]] |
[[Image:Edinburgh playhouse.JPG|thumb|310px|The Edinburgh Playhouse sign]] |
||
The '''Edinburgh Playhouse''' is a [[theatre]] in [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]] which plays host to numerous touring musicals as well as many touring bands. Its capacity is 3059, (Stalls: 1,519, Balcony: 860 and Circle: 680) making it the UK's largest theatre in terms of audience capacity. The theatre is owned by [[Ambassador Theatre Group]]. |
The '''Edinburgh Playhouse''' (gaelic taigh dhealbh na Dun Eidean) is a [[theatre]] in [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]] which plays host to numerous touring musicals as well as many touring bands. Its capacity is 3059, (Stalls: 1,519, Balcony: 860 and Circle: 680) making it the UK's largest theatre in terms of audience capacity. The theatre is owned by [[Ambassador Theatre Group]]. |
||
==Building history== |
==Building history== |
||
Revision as of 00:07, 1 December 2009
The Edinburgh Playhouse (gaelic taigh dhealbh na Dun Eidean) is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland which plays host to numerous touring musicals as well as many touring bands. Its capacity is 3059, (Stalls: 1,519, Balcony: 860 and Circle: 680) making it the UK's largest theatre in terms of audience capacity. The theatre is owned by Ambassador Theatre Group.
Building history
The theatre opened in 1929 as a super-cinema, and was modelled on the Roxy Cinema in New York.[1][2] It was designed by the specialist cinema architect John Fairweather, most famous for his Green's Playhouse cinema in Glasgow. The original colour scheme was described on opening as follows:
"Tones of ivory and stone predominate on the walls, and the roof is decorated with bands of pale green leaves intersected with gold at intervals. The seats in the different parts of the house have been upholstered to harmonise with the general scheme of the decoration. The organ fronts are in Venetian style, and the clock settings, which are square, are neat and attractive."[3]
At the time of its opening, it was the second largest cinema in Scotland, and the 4th largest in the UK. The building was originally listed Category B in 1974, and this was upgraded by Historic Scotland to Category A in 2008.
Performances
In recent years, The Playhouse has played host to artists and shows such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young,AC/DC, Ross Noble, Girls Aloud, Queen, French and Saunders, Tracey Chapman, Alice Cooper, Journey, McFly, Crosby Stills & Nash, Bottom Live, Michael Ball, Riverdance, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, We Will Rock You, Roy Chubby Brown, Lee Evans, The Sinceros, Hall & Oates,Tom Waits and Metallica.
The Edinburgh Playhouse also caters to the youth of the surrounding area who are involved in stage experience projects and youth musicals projects in which children as young as 10, and young adults as old as 21, can take part in shows on the world famous stage.
Technical details
The front of house sound position is somewhat unusually located at the rear of the Dress Circle. Another oddity is the motor hanging points for the advance truss, which are not parallel with the line of the front of stage. The Auditorium Left point is about 500 mm further into the auditorium than the centre and house right. Towards the rear of the stalls, there is 41 mm unistrut Product 221-724 fixed to the ceiling to facilitate the hanging delay speakers. In the Gallery there is also a winch bar across the full width of the auditorium to again facilitate the hanging of delay speakers. The theatre now benefits from a lift to bring up 45' trailers and tractor units up to stage level, which is three floors below street level at the rear of the theatre.
Notes
- ^ The Scotsman, 10th August 1929
- ^ "Edinburgh Playhouse". Scottish Cinemas. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ Kine Weekly, August 1929
