THE SHOW WILL GO ON AS MUCH-LOVED THEATRE WINS REPRIEVE
Councillor Finlay McFarlane, the SNP representative for the city centre, has led the charge to find money to secure the future of the 117 year old Kings Theatre in Tollcross.
The councillor, who credits the theatre as giving him his first professional work after graduating Drama School, rallied council colleagues to offer financial support for the Edinburgh institution securing a pledge from all five political Parties in the recent budget to part-fund the and called on UK and Scottish Governments to meet the remainder.
The Kings restoration project was thrown into jeopardy when the UK Government rejected a City of Edinburgh Council bid for Levelling Up funds but Cllr McFarlane was delighted that, having called on Culture Minister Neil Gray to rescue the plans, the Scottish Government has announced £3.85 million to fully plug the hole and save the theatre from shutting its doors for good.
Cllr McFarlane said: “I am over the moon to see the cultural, economic and historic importance of the true people’s theatre recognised and supported by the Scottish Government.
“Since the outcome of the levelling up bid was known, I have been working with colleagues to explore options to find the remaining money needed. Closing the doors on The Kings Theatre for good was simply not an option. This shows the SNP’s commitment to culture in the capital city of Scotland”.