Edinburgh Playhouse

The Edinburgh Playhouse in Greenside Place is one of the most well-known modern buildings in the city and with a capacity of over 3000 is one of the largest theatre venues in the UK. It has a suitably colourful history and, of course, its own resident ghost.

History

The Playhouse has been through several incarnations. It was designed by Glasgow architect John Fairweather and had initially been intended as a variety theatre. That plan changed with rising popularity of moving pictures and the Playhouse opened in 1929 as a cinema. Showing films continued to be its primary use for the next forty years or so.

In the 1970s it was the turn of the once mighty movie industry to be hit by a decline in popularity as people switched to new inventions such as video games and VCRs. The Playhouse saw its audiences decline and was closed. At one point it was scheduled for demolition and that would have been the end of this Edinburgh landmark were it not for a local petition: the Save The Playhouse campaign collected 15,000 signatures and in 1974 the building was protected with listed status.

Since then the Playhouse has changed hands several times and is currently part of the Live Nation group with special deals available for tourists wishing to combine the booking of hotel accomodation with entertainment.

The Ghost

The Playhouse ghost is known by the fairly undramatic name of "Albert". He first appeared in the 1950s following a break-in and is believed to be the spirit of the theatre's night watchman. He has been reported to manifest as the figure of a man in a grey coat.

Albert has since apparently been watching over the Playhouse on a regular basis since then and spooky events have often been reported. These range from cold spots and strange noises through to ghostly visions and dogs reacting with fear. Fortunately it appears that Albert is benign, though his presence should make potential intruders think twice.

As a good watchman Albert tends to keep backstage during performances and doesn't interrupt the show.

Ghost Fest

In 2008 the Edinburgh Playhouse will take part in the Mary Kings Ghost Fest. As part of this annual event, a team from Ghost Finders Scotland will make a detailed study of the Playhouse and attempt to learn more about the Albert.

In addition the Playhouse will host an evening of clairvoyance with well known psychic medium Colin Fry.


This site is not associated with or endorsed by The Edinburgh Playhouse or Live Nation. Contact the venue for information on shows, prices and to book tickets.