Edinburgh Festival Theatre
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With its impressive Colin Ross-designed three-story glass façade, the former Empire Palace Theatre is at once welcoming and grand. It boasts one of the largest stages in the UK; so big that it has occasionally been converted into a studio theatre with room to spare. The auditorium seats over 1900 people on three levels. Maintaining a tradition for variety that dates back nearly two centuries, it programmes everything from popular comedy to classical opera. Not only is it the capital’s home for Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera, it is also one of the cornerstones of the Edinburgh International Festival and, thanks to investment in cutting edge projection equipment, the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Having built a reputation as a leading dance house, it hosts a cutting-edge contemporary dance season alongside large-scale musicals, international ballet productions and a variety of one-night musical and comedy events. At street level, Café Lucia is open daily, and there are bars on each floor open on performance days in addition to private function rooms. The same management runs the King's Theatre.
The Festival Theatre on Nicolson Street opened in June 1994 and has established its position as one of the country’s most prestigious venues. It has been described by the New York Times as “the finest theatre in Europe”. It is the capital's arena for Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet and is at the heart of the Edinburgh International Festival. The Theatre programmes a contemporary dance season, alongside large-scale musicals, international ballet companies and a variety of one night musical and comedy events.
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Events at Edinburgh Festival Theatre (13–29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh)
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Howard Breton's celebration of the life of Anne Boleyn imagines her as witty, confident and conspiratorial in this humorous play, accompanied by chamber music. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 8 May–12 May Tue 7.30pm; Wed 2.30pm & 7.30pm; Thu & Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £16.50–£29.50 |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| The Northern Ballet Sinfonia channel the music of Bizet, Debussy, Poulenc and Fauré in this adaptation of the classic tale of the handsome prince who is disfigured as punishment for his arrogance. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 15 Mar–17 Mar Thu & Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £12–£32.50 (£9–£29.50; Family £80 (4 tickets, max 2 adults); Groups (8+) £7–£27.50) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| This celebration of hip hop dance theatre features interactive freestyle sessions, live DJ and demonstrations taking place out in the foyer. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 18 May–19 May Fri & Sat 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £16.50 (£13.50; Under 21s £10 if booked before 1 April; Groups (10+) £10 plus 1 free per every 10) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| The show about the Women's Institute fundraisers who stripped for a (tasteful) nude calendar returns for the last time with a cast led by Lynda Bellingham, Camilla Dallerup and Jan Harvey. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 23 Apr–28 Apr Mon & Tue 7.30pm; Wed 2.30pm & 7.30pm; Thu & Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £11.50–£29.50 (Groups (8+) £6.50–£24.50) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Featuring the chance to see the Olivier Award nominated Mambo 3XX1, this programme also includes work by renowned choreographer Itzik Galili. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 15 May–16 May Tue & Wed 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £12.50–£22.50 (£9.50–£19.50; Groups (8+) £7.50–£17.50) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| A small-town grocer is led astray and into the arms of his neighbour. As his escapades cause trouble within the community, his wife's reaction surprises everyone. Featuring Craig Gazey, Suzanne Shaw and Vicky Entwistle. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 27 Feb–3 Mar Mon & Tue 7.30pm; Wed 2.30pm & 7.30pm; Thu & Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £15–£28 |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Gilbert and Sullivan's classic opera follows a bunch of fairies undermining the House of Lords. Presented by The Edinburgh Gilbert and Sullivan Society. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 1 May–5 May Tue–Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £14–£19 |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch ensemble Nederlands Dans Theater return with their high-energy work which features no dancers under the age of 21. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 23 Mar–24 Mar Fri & Sat 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £12.50–£22.50 (£9.50–£19.50; Groups (8+) £7.50–£17.50) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Join Peppa, Goerge and Danny Dog in a treasure hunt on Grandad Dog's boat. This brand new show features puppets, songs and a brand new story. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 4 Jul–5 Jul Wed & Thu 10am & 1pm | 0131 529 6000 £14–£16 (Under 16s £12–£14; Family £54 (4 tickets, max 2 adults)) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town Opera return with Gershwin's popular opera, featuring 'Summertime', 'I Got Plenty of Nuttin'' and 'It Ain't Necessarily So'. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 15 Jun–16 Jun Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2pm & 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £30–£45 (£27–£42; Groups (8+) £25–£40) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Williams' classic play is fused with dance from Scottish Ballet for this 65th anniversary year performance, featuring a jazzy score by Peter Salem. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 18 Apr–21 Apr Wed–Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2pm & 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £16.50–£37.50 (Groups (8+) £10.50–£31.50) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| A triple bill from Scottish Dance Theatre featuring Lay Me Down Safe by Kate Weare, Drift by James Wilton and Pavlova's Dogs by Rachel Lopez de la Nieta, a piece which brings together dance and quantum physics. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 21 Mar 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £13–£18 (£10–£15; Groups (8+) £8–£13) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| An hour-long introduction to the Humperdinck's operatic fairy tale. View full details |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 15 Feb 6pm | Free |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| An introduction to Stravinsky's opera. View full details |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 28 Mar 6pm | Free |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| A free introduction to the elements of Puccini's opera. View full details |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 24 May 6pm | Free |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Join Cilla, Archie, Gary and Kevin to make a right old racket – bang on a homemade instrument to accompany all the old favourites like ' Music Man' and 'Ants Went Marching'. View full details |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 3 Jun Sun noon & 3pm | 0131 529 6000 £13 (Family £48) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Five comedians bring to life the music of Ennio Morricone from the iconic Eastwood films featuring the Man With No Name with recreations of the punch ups, gunshots and jangling spurs. View full details |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 13 Mar 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £19.50–£26.50 (£16.50–£23.50) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Roper's washhouse comedy about the relationships between a group of working women as they rush to finish their work before the New Year bells, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 10 Apr–14 Apr Tue 7.30pm; Wed 2.30pm & 7.30pm; Thu & Fri 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £15–£28 (£12–£25; Groups (8+) £10–£23) |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Surreal free-thinking and spot-on one-liners from the Canadian stand-up. View full details |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 3 Nov 7.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £20 |
| Location | Date | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Celebrating The Queen's Diamond Jubliee, Marilyn Hill Smith brings to life the spirit of wartime Britain with a selection of songs that kept the nation smiling through its darkest time. View full details and ticket info |
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| Edinburgh Festival Theatre | 12 Mar 2.30pm | 0131 529 6000 £13 (Friends £12; Groups (8+) £11) |
Reviews of Edinburgh Festival Theatre (13–29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh)
- 1. pepitoe, east lothian – 1 May 2011, 1:09pmEdinburgh Festival TheatreReport
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Spirit of the Dance - 30.4.11
Had been looking for a really good,entertaining,high quality,night of entertainment.Deeply disappointing.This group were unable to pull off the range of dance quality required to do Irish,Scottish,Spanish and the other range of dance routines.They presented as semi professional,reasonably competetent but not of a standard that should be at the festival theatre.Costumes were tacky,and the group should never try to do highland dancing in Scotland unless really competent,which they were not.
We were so disappointed we left during the interval.
Festival Theatre - "need to do better"
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