After several years of work to refurbish the King’s Theatre on Leven Street in a £41 million programme, Chief Executive of Capital Theatres, Fiona Gibson opened the double oak doors to the first customers.
First in was Charlotte Fabian who is 104 years-old and has been a regular visitor to the theatre since she was a youngster along with her young companions Isla (9) and Ewan (7) from Tollcross Primary School.
Mrs Fabian now lives in Liberton Brae Care Home, but lived in Grindlay Street from the age of four years-old. She has not moved too far since then except for a brief period during her marriage. As a civil servant she worked in the finance department. Her mother was a barmaid in the King’s, and her father was an electrician who also worked in the theatre. Her father held the keys to the theatre and if anything happened in the theatre then he would be called out to deal with any emergency. Her father was eventually the last commissioner at the theatre, often helped by Mrs Fabian’s late brother, Reg.
The Reverend Elaine Hogan, Pastoral Associate, and Anne from the Pastoral Care team at the nearby Barclay Church, accompanied Mrs Fabian to the theatre.
The combined ages of the children along with Mrs Fabian equalled 120 years – the age of the Old Lady of Leven Street.
