The Edinburgh Festival Theatre is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh Scotland used primarily for performances of opera and ballet, 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 year-round venue for the Scottish Opera and the Scottish Ballet. Edinburgh (pronounced ), Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and its capital city. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Sydney Opera House: one of the worlds most recognizable opera houses and landmarks Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content or primary entertainment is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker. ... The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland over three weeks around the end of August. ... Scottish Opera was founded in 1962 and is based in Glasgow. ... Scottish Ballet is Scotlands national ballet company, based in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

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 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. Frank Matcham, a famous theatrical architect who designed Buxton Opera House in 1903. ... The London Coliseum The Coliseum Theatre is one of Londons largest and best equipped theatres, opening in 1904. ...

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 (there were eleven backstage deaths), the theatre re-opened three months later. However, given the long term competition from the growth of film as a popular medium, the theatre was re-equipped to present bigger and more spectacular shows. Reusing some of Matcham’s original design concepts, the theatre re-opened on 1 October 1928 with 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, Fats Waller, Joe Loss, and Laurel and Hardy appeared, while English comedians Max Wall, Morecambe and Wise and Harry Worth established themselves at the Empire. Sir Harry Lauder, KBE (4 August 1870 - 26 February 1950) was a very famous Scottish entertainer, described by Sir Winston Churchill as Scotlands greatest ever ambassador! // Early Years Born Henry Lauder at 4 Bridge Street Portobello, the residence of his mother’s father, he was the eldest son of... Charles Laughton as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Charles Laughton (July 1, 1899 - December 15, 1962) was a British-born American stage and film actor. ... Album cover of Fats Wallers Aint Misbehavin, 25 Greatest Hits Fats Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an African-American jazz pianist, organist, composer and comedic entertainer. ... Joshua Alexander Loss or Joe Loss, musician, born 22 June 1909 in Bishopsgate, London. ... Laurel and Hardy Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were perhaps the most famous comedy duo in motion picture history. ... Max Wall (March 12, 1908 - May 21, 1990) was a British comedian, born in Brixton, London son of the successful music-hall entertainer Jack (Jock) Lorimer. ... Morecambe and Wise Morecambe and Wise were a famous British comic double act comprising Eric Morecambe OBE and Ernie Wise OBE. The act lasted four decades until Morecambes retirement, shortly before his death in 1984. ... Harry Worth (real name Harry Illingworth) (20 November 1917 - 20 July 1989) was a British comedy actor, His standard performance was as a genial, bumbling middle-class and middle-aged man from the North of England, who reduced all who came into contact with him to a state of frustration. ...

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. Dame Margot Fonteyn, DBE, (May 18, 1919 - February 21, 1991), the British assoluta was considered the worlds greatest ballerina of her time. ... The Old Vic is a theatre in the Waterloo area of London. ... Royal Ballet may refer to: Royal Ballet, London Birmingham Royal Ballet Royal Winnipeg Ballet Royal Danish Ballet There is also an article about the Royal Ballet School in London, England. ... The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House, home of the Royal Opera The Royal Opera is London and the United Kingdoms most famous and most wealthy opera company. ...

However, for nearly thirty years after 1963 the theatre became a bingo hall, only temporarily serving as a Festival venue. Finally, after its third major re-modeling, the Empire Palace Theatre re-opened in June 1994 with a glass-fronted structure for the new entrance (created by architect Colin Ross), as the now-renamed Edinburgh Festival Theatre. 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 perfect acoustics, the new theatre serves all the artistic needs of the community.

External links

• Edinburgh Festival theatres official website