After what must seem like an eternity but is in fact a long 15 months, Capital Theatres confirm that they will again be opening the doors of their venues the Kings, Festival Theatre and the Studio to audiences from 29 June 2021. From the opening date, audiences can enjoy a series of socially distanced performances over the summer with enhanced COVID safety measures, and a full programme of events in line from the autumn onwards.
CEO of Capital Theatres, Fiona Gibson said “After closing our doors on 16 March and ‘going dark’ for longer than any of us would ever have imagined, we’re delighted to be able to welcome our audiences back into our theatres. We’ve worked closely with Scottish Government and the wider theatre industry to ensure that audiences can feel safe, comfortable and secure as they return to the joy of live performance. Our summer programme, using socially distanced seating plans, will build the confidence of audience, staff and artists alike as we look forward to a full programme of events this autumn, bringing you all the thrilling variety and entertainment which Capital Theatres is famous for.”
The Festival Theatre’s opening show will be the London and New York sell-out Blindness, a theatrical sound installation from the Donmar Warehouse using the voice of Juliet Stephenson. This will be followed in July with Zog; Caitlin Moran: More Than A Woman LIVE!; Silent Cinema: A Night of Laurel & Hardy; Rosie Kay: Absolute Solo II that will all be on socially distanced seating plans in line with the latest government guidance.
August sees in playing host to Scottish Opera’s Falstaff as part of the Edinburgh International Festival while the King’s Theatre will reopen with spy thriller A Splinter of Ice starring Oliver Ford Davies of Game of Thrones as Graham Greene and Stephen Boxer of The Crown as Kim Philby.
Both venues, that will be fully programmed from September 2021 onward, hold the prospect of new and well-loved theatrical shows whose highlights include Grease; Dirty Dancing; Bedknobs and Broomsticks; Six; Wise Children’s Wuthering Heights; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; National Theatre of Scotland’s Orphans and The Enemy; Stewart Lee and The Cher Show. Add to this the prospect of the legendary King’s Panto and Christmas favourites such as The Sleeping Beauty and Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker and we have a welcome sense of returning normality.
Capital Theatres has both We’re Good to Go accreditation from Visit Scotland and See it Safely accreditation from Society of London Theatres and UK Theatre, so their enhanced COVID safety measures will be in place to ensure audience safety and comfort.
All shows listed below are on sale at the Capital Theatres website.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 