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There are few buildings that represent the spirit of Edinburgh quite like The Lady of Leven Street, The People’s Theatre. Our beloved King’s Theatre. Even mid‑renovation, wrapped in scaffolding and anticipation, the King’s still carries itself like a grand old dame who knows she has stories you’re not ready for. And now, as the August reopening creeps into view, Capital Theatres has decided it’s time for the public to add a few stories of their own.

The spark for this latest bout of theatrical sentimentality arrived in the form of a glass bottle. Not a prop, but a genuine 1906 time capsule discovered above the stage by photographer and historian Mike Hume. Inside were the names of the architects, plasterers and apprentices who built the King’s, preserved in dust and optimism. A century later, the theatre is returning the favour.

Capital Theatres is inviting audiences, neighbours, performers, panto loyalists and anyone who has ever clapped eyes on the King’s to contribute to a new message in a bottle. Memories, hopes, confessions, declarations of undying love for the panto baddie, even a sketch or video if the spirit moves you. Submissions are open until 6 June, either online or via the glass‑bottle installation now sitting proudly in the Festival Theatre foyer. A fittingly theatrical way to bottle lightning.

Chief Executive Fiona Gibson speaks about the King’s with the kind of affection usually reserved for family members or pets that have lived long enough to develop a personality. The redevelopment has been shaped by community panels made up of Tollcross locals, carers, teachers, patrons and people living with dementia, all of whom have had a hand in shaping everything from accessible lifts to daytime programming. The King’s is reopening not just shinier, but fairer.

‘As we prepare to reopen the doors to the public in August this year, we’re inviting everyone to be part of our next chapter by sharing what the King’s means to you. Whether it’s a favourite show, a special time you stepped on stage yourself, a first visit that sparked a love of theatre, or even a hope for what the King’s could be in the future – every story matters.’

And shiny it will be. The raised fly tower, extended by 4.5 metres, means larger and more ambitious productions can take root. The old, raked stage has been replaced with a level one, opening the doors to dance, circus and companies who previously had to contort themselves to fit. Accessibility is the spine of the building, with step‑free routes from street to seat, new lifts, increased wheelchair spaces and a Changing Places facility that will be open to the public.

The reopening celebrations are being shaped with theatre company Slung Low, whose artistic directors Alan Lane and Kully Thiarai have already fallen for the King’s particular brand of civic magic. Their involvement suggests the August festivities will be less ribbon‑cutting and more full‑bodied community carnival. Saying;

“At every moment of the process it’s been clear that the King’s truly deserves and lives its reputation as the people’s theatre. It’s been such a privilege to work with an organisation with whom we have so many shared values and it’s been delightful to discover so many of the stories of the theatre’s past and hopes for their future. We can’t wait to see the public once again at the heart of the King’s auditorium.” 

A theatre is only ever as alive as the people who fill it, and the King’s has been filled by generations. Now, as it prepares to reopen as one of the most accessible heritage venues in the UK, it is asking those same people to leave something behind. A message, a memory, a hope. Something for the next century to find.

And really, what better way to reopen a theatre than by reminding everyone that the story has always belonged to them?

Leave your message here

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