Leith Theatre no longer on the “At Risk” register

Leith Theatre has been removed from the UK’s Theatres at Risk Register after significant progress has been made towards the long-awaited restoration, marking a milestone moment for the building.

The national advisory body, Theatres Trust, confirmed the good news as it published its 2026 register, which lists 39 theatres across the UK under threat of closure, redevelopment or severe decay.

Leith Theatre Trust has secured significant funding towards restoring the B-listed building and has appointed a design team to begin the major capital project, with Theatres Trust providing expert support throughout the process. It is one of three in the UK which have been released from the register.

Lynn Morrison, Chief Executive of Leith Theatre Trust since 2016, said: “It is now a different chapter with different risks but certainly being on the Theatres Trust register gave us a platform. A key part of what I have done is to create sustainability and introduce a commercial future, and securing a 50 year lease from the council is a key part of that. That now puts long term building security in, but it also needs to align with the business journey in terms of funding. But we now have momentum.

“Coming off the Theatres At Risk register is not a shock for us. Entering the lease coincided with being taken on as a National Lottery heritage project.”

Lynn explained that although they have two potential pots of funding – from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and also from the Visitor Levy, the money is not actually in the Trust’s bank account as yet. They have a pledge of the money and funding, but have to “go through the development to earn it and unlock the money”.

The next application to the National Lottery will be made in November this year, and it will unlock £4.2 million if successful, but will require match funding which is where the Visitor Levy monies come in.

As it stands, the theatre is not quite wind and watertight and there is only one source of potable water in the whole building, but there is still scope for meanwhile bookings and pop ups.

One of the most exciting bookings is that Irvine Welsh will stage two events later this year, one billed as a fundraiser and the other a 30th anniversary of Trainspotting gig on 14 August as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. In addition the venue has been used as a location for the TV series The Bidding Room.

But meantime the architects Holmes Miller are working on the designs required, and with the benefit of funding a planning application could be made sometime in 2027. Lynn explained that the architects have a lot to do in solving the challenges of the building, with “audience comfort” being one of the challenges to address.

She said: “We have done lots of investigative work along with the lease, and have already ripped out some of the dry rot and replastered it. But we are now thinking of the way to make it commercially viable. It was built to operate in 1930 and we have to look at the modern conditions of operating a venue, including all new requirements such as Martin’s Law. But it now feels that we will open it this time when it is not just for a slice of time, but open for good. It just takes much longer than people realise.”

Theatres Trust

Claire Appleby, Head of Theatre Buildings at Theatres Trust, told The Edinburgh Reporter that previously theatres being added to the list were older theatres, often Victorian theatres which had lain empty for some time.

But now the theatres under threat are the more modern buildings constructed in the 1970s and 1980s – and the danger comes from Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and asbestos – both common building materials in the late twentieth century.

She also said that most of the buildings now appearing on the register are local authority owned and are “in need of investment”. Some of these buildings are in a building where theatres are co-located with other civic or commercial businesses which can make repairs complex. In addition Ms Appleby recognised that local authority budgets are under pressure “which adds to a perfect storm for these theatre buildings”.

Theatres Trust gets involved with any renovation or replacement projects as much as they can. They offer advice and support to try and find viable options to enable the buildings to be secured and reopened.

In the case of the Brunton Theatre, Ms Appleby confirmed the involvement of the Trust. She said: “We have been speaking with East Lothian Council and we know that this is not a decision they took lightly. They didn’t want to have to close the Brunton, however the situation with the RAAC panels meant it was a forced closure. The council is keen as is the local community, to see theatre and cultural use replaced in Musselburgh – whether that is reopening the Brunton after repairs or replacing it. It is a beautiful very distinctive modernist building. The council is now going out to the marketplace to see if there is an appetite to replace the building.

“But while the council is working hard on this it leaves the people of Musselburgh without a local venue. There is retrovision in nearby areas but it is really difficult for some people in Musselburgh to get there.”

It looks as though it will be a long time before any replacement building or indeed renovated building is available as a theatre.

Joshua McTaggart, CEO of Theatres Trust, said the theatre’s removal from the register was cause for celebration, but warned that work was far from over. “Removing them from the Register is not the end of the journey and there is still work to be done to ensure their long-term resilience,” he said. “Theatres Trust will be there to support both organisations with the operational challenges they may face as they move towards fully reopening.

“While it is fantastic to celebrate these successes in our 50th anniversary year, we must temper that with the reality that we are also adding two more theatres to the Register. That means two more communities losing access to the joy and opportunities that theatre brings. Sadly, these buildings are just the tip of the iceberg, and we are beginning to identify a potential trend for theatres built in the 1970s now facing a higher likelihood of challenges that could lead to long-term or even permanent closure. Without sustained long-term support for theatres at the local, regional, and national level, we could see many more theatres from the 70s added to our Theatres at Risk Register. This is a future we want to confidently avoid, and so Theatres Trust urges theatre owners, operators and local authorities to reach out to us before concerns become crises.”

The 2026 register is the 20th anniversary of the campaign first launched in 2006 which shines a spotlight on theatres under threat. Over the two decades, more than 80 theatres across the UK have been restored, revived or suitably replaced as a result.

Theatres Trust sounded a note of caution, warning of an emerging trend of theatres built in the 1970s now facing a heightened risk of long-term or permanent closure due to structural and material failures.

In Scotland, Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh, the King’s Theatre Dundee and Motherwell Concert Hall & Theatre have been named amongst the 39 theatres in the UK threatened by closure.