Church Hill Theatre

Church Hill Theatre stands on a quiet hill in Edinburgh’s Morningside district. The building began life in 1892 as the North Morningside Free Church, designed by Hippolyte Blanc. Edinburgh’s town council bought it in 1960 and later turned it into a theatre. After a full refurbishment it reopened in August 2006 under the same management as the Assembly Rooms. Its pink sandstone walls still show the church’s original lines. The theatre now hosts amateur drama, fringe shows and international festivals. Lothian Youth Arts And Musicals Company and Edinburgh University Footlights perform here regularly. Groups such as Tempo, Showcase and Threepenny Theatricals bring new plays to the stage. A lift now reaches the 353-seat auditorium, and a cafe welcomes visitors. Inside, the high vaulted ceiling and stained-glass windows recall the building’s past. The auditorium seats over three hundred, while smaller rooms host rehearsals and talks. A privately run cafe offers refreshments before and after performances. The hilltop site keeps the theatre close to Morningside’s cafes and bookshops.