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King's Theatre, Edinburgh
 Street address: 2 Leven Street, Edinburgh EH3 9LQ, Scotland, United Kingdom
Telephone: 44 (0) 131 662 1112
Fax:
 44 (0) 131 667 0744E-mail: enquiries@eft.co.uk
Website: http://www.eft.co.uk
Proprietor: Festival City Theatres Trust
Contact: John Stalker General Manager
E-mail: john.stalker@eft.co.uk
Contact: Jimmy Beacham Box Office Manager
E-mail: jimmy.beacham@eft.co.uk
Contact: Caroline Brophy Theatre Manager
E-mail: caroline.brophy@eft.co.uk
Contact: Jim Clark Technical Manager
E-mail: jim.clark@eft.co.uk
Accessibility: Ramped entrance, wheelchair access FOH except for bars, assistance available, induction loop, audio guide, large print material, provision for guide dogs, wheelchair spaces in auditorium
The King's Theatre, Edinburgh was built in 1905 by William Cruikshank and opened in 1906. The interior décor is very ornate, with nine boxes on either side of the proscenium, and fine examples of Edwardian stained glass in the foyer doors. The Theatre originally had stalls and three circles - dress, family and gallery. However, the gallery was uncomfortable and latterly unsafe and was removed in the 1950s, reducing the Theatre to three levels with additional seating at the back of what is now called the upper circle. The present seating capacity is 1,350.
Built as a variety theatre, the King’s has a long tradition of pantomime, with stars such as Stanley Baxter, Rikki Fulton and Jimmy Logan making frequent appearances on its stage. The Festival City Theatres Trust took on the management of the King’s from the local authority in July 1998. The venue now presents mainly professional drama, hosting visits by the Royal National Theatre and other major touring companies, but also accommodates Edinburgh's annual pantomime from Christmas to New Year and a variety of operatic and musical offerings by local amateur companies during the Spring season. Every August the King’s plays host to the Edinburgh International Festival.
Wee Stories Theatre is now headquartered at the theatre.
Auditorium Type of venue: National touring house
Main use: Commercial theatre, drama, dance, ballet, opera, comedy, variety
Seating: 1,336 raked seats total on 3 levels
Proscenium opening: 9.76m W x 6.1m H
Performing area: 12.4m W x 12.65m D x 16.2m DS, 15.7m US H to grid, raked sprung wooden floor covered in hardboard, suitable for dance, backstage and understage crossovers, stage heated, get-in via dock door 1.6m above street level, 2.78m x 5.2m, safety curtain; scale stage, fly and lighting plans available
Orchestra pit: Forestage lift forms orchestra pit in three sizes, for 14, 30 or 75
Wing spaces: 4.27m W SR, 3.5m W SL
Suspension equipment: 57 counterweight lines, 48 single, 9 double purchase, 0.15m, 0.22m and 0.3m apart, tab track, max load 250kg per bar, max flying height 15.2m
Soft hangings: Black house curtain, red house tabs, flown, traverse curtain, legs and borders, pale blue isora cyclorama
Lighting: Strand 500i board, 150 circuits, 400A, 3-phase, operated from open box at centre of second circle, 200A 3-phase supply available for temporary board; 100 spots, 40 fresnels, plus various other lanterns, 2 followspots operated from box at top centre rear of auditorium
Sound: Soundcraft 8000 40:8:8 mixer operated from box at centre of second circle, 4 C-Audio, 3 Yamaha power amplifiers, 6 Meyer, 8 Bose 101 speakers, also various other speakers (foldback, stage effects); 3 Revox B77 reel-to-reel decks, 2 Denon cassette decks, Denon CD player, 5 Yamaha graphic equalisers; 4 Crown, 4 Shure, 18 AKG mics; acoustics suitable for music and spoken word
Stage equipment: Tallescope, lluminated conductor's desk and 40 RAT illuminated music stands, SM desk may be positioned in either wing, custom-made cueiing system, 14 light outstations, 8 headsets, show relay/tannoy to dressing rooms
Backstage: 12 dressing rooms, 3 band rooms, quick change rooms, wardrobe with laundry facilities, rehearsal room, technical staff include stage manager and 4 stage hands, chief electrician and 2 electricians, casuals available, security personnel, backstage facilities partially accessible to disabled performers and staff |
