Leith Theatre

Leith Theatre stands on Ferry Road in Edinburgh, a brick building opened in 1932 as a gift from the city to Leith after their merger. Designed by Bradshaw Gass & Hope, it occupies the former site of the North Leith Manse. The complex also includes the Thomas Morton Hall, named after a local shipwright, and sits next to Leith Library. The Town Hall building stretches along Ferry Road with the theatre in its East Wing and the hall in the West Wing. The whole site has been a landmark for nearly a century. The theatre’s stage once hosted some of the greatest names in classical music and opera. Between 1962 and the late 1970s it welcomed the Amadeus Quartet, Janet Baker, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Mstislav Rostropovich. Pop acts such as Thin Lizzy and AC/DC also performed there. In 1970 it staged the weightlifting events for the British Commonwealth Games. After years of closure from 1988, the theatre began to reopen in 2016 for arts festivals and occasional events. Visitors now find a building restored after wartime damage and decades of disuse. The Hidden Door festival has used its spaces for performances in derelict settings. Plans include roof repairs, new heating, soundproofing and improved facilities. The theatre remains part of a larger complex that still contains the Thomas Morton Hall, used for smaller gatherings. Its location along Ferry Road keeps it close to Leith Library and the heart of the community.