It’s the community’s King’s!
Community companies first on King’s stage
Seven of Edinburgh’s community theatre companies will be joining panto favourites Clare Gray and Gail Watson for A Great Night Out, the very first test production on the King’s Theatre’s newly revamped stage.
The performance, on Thursday 23 July at 7.30pm, will the first of three test productions being staged ahead of the King’s special Opening Weekend on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August, when the public will be able to explore the refurbished venue’s new facilities.
King’s renovations, exterior. March 2026. Pic: Anneleen Lindsay for Capital Theatres.
There will be two further test performances, to help put the newly redeveloped theatre through its paces and allow the theatre team to rehearse everything that makes a theatre visit run smoothly, from ticket scanning to way-finding around the venue and front of house operations.
These will both take place on Saturday 25 July. At 2.30pm there will be a singalong screening of Frozen. And in the evening, Mhairi Black and Kevin Quantum will be creating an evening of comedy, magic and science.
The local companies featured in A Great Night Out will include Allegro, the Bohemians Lyric Opera Company, the Edinburgh Gang Show, the Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Edinburgh Music Theatre, Showcase and Southern Light.
Booking is open
Booking is open for the Opening Weekend. Tickets are free, but must be booked in advance. Priority booking for Friends of Capital Theatres is open for the three test performances, with general booking open on Thursday 4 June.
King’s renovations: Restoration of the auditorium plasterwork March 2026. Pic: Anneleen Lindsay for Capital Theatres.
The King’s has been dark since August 2022 and the redevelopment project was initially intended to be finished by August 2024. Redevelopment eventually got underway on February 27, 2023 and now, after several snags, should secure the future of the King’s as a community space for future generations.
The redevelopment project has preserved many of the theatre’s historic and iconic features, while upgrading technical and hospitality facilities and making it fully accessible for everyone.
Backstage, a new fly tower has been installed adding an extra 4.5 meters to the wings to accommodate larger, more ambitious productions, and the old, raked stage has been replaced with a new level stage able to accommodate a wider range of performances.
easier and safer get-ins
The level of the stage has been changed to allow easier and safer get-ins for companies using the theatre. The backstage area has been made accessible, including a new lift, the changing rooms have been upgraded and the orchestra pit refurbished.
King’s renovations: New battons in the wings above the stage. April 2026. Pic Anneleen Lindsay for Capital Theatres.
Front of house, the auditorium remains intact with the number of seats in the upper circle reduced by 200, to allow space fora Creative Engagement Studio for workshops, community projects and events. There are increased wheelchair spaces, new end-of-row seats with transfer arms and some wider seats available in the Stalls.
There are two new lifts, allowing step-free access from pavement to seat, and new stairs. New public spaces include a street-level café, while the existing cafes and bars have been refurbished and reconfigured.
Fiona Gibson, Chief Executive of Capital Theatres, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to officially welcome people back to the King’s Theatre on Saturday 1 August for our Opening Weekend.
Come and have a peek
“Hundreds of people have been hard at work on our beautiful building and we can’t wait to show you what’s changed, what’s stayed the same and how the theatre plans to welcome you all back over the coming year.
“Come and have a peek at the new bars, experience the all-new lifts to every floor, enjoy the rare chance to step onto the new flat stage, or simply have a drink in the new café, our team is excited to see you again.
King’s renovations. The upper circle bar under construction. March 2026. Pic: Anneleen Lindsay for Capital Theatres.
She added: “Every great show needs a dress rehearsal, and the reopening of the King’s is no exception. That’s why we’re inviting audiences to be among the first to experience the transformed theatre to help us test how the building operates with a full audience. We can’t wait to see the King’s Theatre full of art, people and life once more.”
To learn more about the King’s Theatre redevelopment, visit www.capitaltheatres.com/kings-future.
Listings
A Great Night Out (King’s Dress Rehearsal)
Thurs 23 July 2026
One performance: 7.30pm.
Hosted by panto favourites Clare Gray and Gail Watson, and featuring Allegro, Bohemians Lyric Opera Company, Edinburgh Gang Show, Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Edinburgh Music Theatre, Showcase and Southern Light, this event celebrates the performers, companies and audiences who have made the King’s such an important part of Edinburgh’s theatre life and ensured that the King’s is so important to so many generations. Book here.
Sing-along Frozen (King’s Dress Rehearsal)
Sat 25 July 2026
One performance: 2.30pm.
The Sing-A-Long version of Frozen, a stunning big-screen comedy-adventure inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. These events will help give the King’s a test run with a full audience. Various aspects of a working theatre will be tested. All proceeds will support the King’s Theatre redevelopment.. Book here.
Mhairi Black and Kevin Quantum (King’s Dress Rehearsal)
Sat 25 July 2026
One performance: 7.30pm.
What better than a double bill of laughs and thrills. MP turned comedian Mhairi Black joins us following two sold-out Fringe runs to keep you chuckling and Kevin Quantum will amaze with his blend of mind-blowing illusions, razor-sharp comedy, and a touch of the unexpected. Book here.
King’s Opening Weekend
Sat 1/Sun 2 Aug 2026
Sat: 1pm, 3pm, 5pm; Sun: 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm.
A first look at the King’s Theatre as the doors are thrown open for you to explore. Lots of people have been hard at work on our beloved theatre. Find out what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and how the theatre plans to welcome everyone back with a programme packed with entertainment over the coming year.
Each free 90 minute slot will allow you to peek at the luxurious new bars, visit the lovely loos, have a drink in the cafe, gaze at the John Byrne dome, or experience a new level thanks to the lifts to every floor. The King’s team will be there to welcome people back to the King’s. A limited number of backstage tours will also be available to book at the theatre on the day. Free but booking required.
See our King’s listings page for full details of what is coming up at the King’s.
