The Edinburgh Festival Theatre (originally Empire Palace Theatre and later shortened to Empire Theatre) is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, Scotland. It is used primarily for performances of

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

and

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

, large-scale musical events, and touring groups. After its most recent renovation in 1994, it seats 1,915. It is one of the major venues of the annual summer Edinburgh International Festival and is the Edinburgh venue for the Scottish Opera and the Scottish Ballet.

Theatre background and history

The present theatre's location is Edinburgh's longest continuous theatre site, for there has been a theatre in that location since 1830. From being Dunedin Hall, the Royal Amphitheatre, Alhambra Music Hall, the Queen's Theatre, Pablo Fanque's Amphitheatre, and Newsome's Circus, the site became the Empire Palace Theatre, the first of the famous Moss Empires’ chain, opening on 7 November 1892. Designed by the great British theatre architect, Frank Matcham, (who built the London Coliseum, among others) its décor was lavish, with elephants with Nubian riders, nymphs and cherubs in abundance on the plasterwork, and it seated 3000 people on four levels.

1911 fire

For the following twenty years all the top artists of the day played at the Empire Palace until, on 9 May 1911, there was a disastrous fire on stage. While all 3000 theatre goers escaped safely in about 2.5 minutes, there were eleven backstage deaths, including illusionist

Sigmund Neuberger Sigmund Neuberger (or Sigmund Newburger) (25 February 1871 – 9 May 1911), who performed as an Magic (illusion), illusionist under the stage name The Great Lafayette, was the highest-paid magician of his time. Early life ...

, who was then taking his final bow as The Great Lafayette; his body double; and the lion from his act. Film of the aftermath of the fire is held by the National Library of Scotland. The theatre reopened three months after the fire.

Popular performers

Nevertheless, given the long term competition from the growth of film as a popular medium, the theatre had to be re-equipped to present bigger and more spectacular shows. Reusing some of Matcham's original design concepts, the theatre reopened on 1 October 1928 with the first production, the musical '' Show Boat''. Between 1928 and 1963 the Empire was a variety, musical and opera house, often including ice shows. Big names like Harry Lauder,

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future w ...

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

, Joe Loss, and

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

appeared, while English comedians

Max Wall Max Wall (12 March 1908 – 21 May 1990) was an English actor and comedian whose performing career covered music hall, films, television and theatre. Early years Wall was born Maxwell George Lorimer, son of the successful music hall entert ...

Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working i ...

and

Harry Worth Harry Bourlon Illingsworth (20 November 1917 – 20 July 1989), professionally known as Harry Worth, was an English comedy actor, comedian and ventriloquist. Worth portrayed a charming, gentle and genial character, totally bemused by life, ...

established themselves at the Empire. In addition to the music hall and popular entertainers who appeared at the Empire, the theatre became a principal venue of the Edinburgh International Festival between 1947 and 1963. It was particularly associated with international ballet and, during the first Festival in 1947, Margot Fonteyn danced in ''The Sleeping Beauty'', while in subsequent years, performances by the Old Vic theatre company, the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera were presented. However, for nearly thirty years after 1963 the theatre became a bingo hall, only temporarily serving as a Festival venue. In the early 1970s the venue shortened its name to simply the Empire Theatre and hosted live music events. Bands did not appear until after 11pm - once the bingo players had gone. Emerson, Lake & Palmer (18 December 1971),

Free Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

(14 September 1972),

Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular albums included ''Wishbone Ash'' (1970), ''Pilgrimage'' (1971), '' Argus'' (1972), ''Wishbone Four'' (1973), ''There's the Rub'' (1974), and '' ...

(9 December 1972) and Focus (11 May 1973) were among the acts appearing. Finally, after its third major remodeling, the Empire Theatre reopened in June 1994 with a glass-fronted structure for the new entrance (created by Law & Dunbar-Nasmith Architects), as the now-renamed ''Edinburgh Festival Theatre''. In 1997, the theatre manager and artistic director

Stephen Barry Stephen Leon Reid Barry (4 July 1945 – 18 October 2000) was a British arts administrator, drama producer, and artistic director. He was chief executive of two Edinburgh theatres, the Festival and the King's, prime venues of the fam ...

was appointed to shape the rejuvenated venue's future. With the restoration of the Empire Theatre's former 1928 glory, plus a dramatic mix of art nouveau, beaux arts and neo-classicism, and including adequate acoustics, the new theatre serves the artistic needs of the community. Festival Theatre Les Mis

In the twenty-first century, the theatre has played host to a wide number of touring productions of West End shows, including ''Les Misérables'' and ''War Horse''.

Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporarily di ...

lead vocalist Shane Filan played at the theatre as a solo artist in 2017.

Legend

The theatre is said to be haunted by a tall, dark stranger rumoured to be the famous illusionist

, a.k.a. The Great Lafayette, who was one of those who burned to death in the fire at the Empire in 1911.

References

External links

Edinburgh Festival Theatre Official Website
{{Scottish Theatres Opera houses in Scotland Festival Theatre Category B listed buildings in Edinburgh Reportedly haunted locations in Edinburgh Theatres completed in 1892 1830 establishments in Scotland