Playhouse — Edinburgh — Scottish Cinemas

Playhouse

18 - 22 Greenside Place

[Playhouse advertising slides courtesy of Alistair Kerr]

[Archive photos c.Sept 1973 courtesy of the Scottish Theatre Organ Preservation Society , via John C. Storrier]

[Many thanks to Larry McGuire for detailed information about the building's history]

A gallery of interior photos from September 2008 can be seen here .

Front Entrance

The Playhouse is the largest and most opulent cinema ever built in

Scotland that still survives today in its original form. The only

comparable cinemas with a larger seating capacity than it, the

Playhouses in Dundee and Glasgow, have both been lost. While

Fairweather’s Playhouse in Ayr had a (very) slightly larger original

seating capacity, and also survives, it was built for a provincial

town, not a major city, and was budgeted to match. It has also been

subject to alterations as a bingo hall.

The Edinburgh Playhouse is therefore the best surviving example of a

cinema by architect John Fairweather; it is also the best surviving

example in Scotland of the 'super-cinema', built when a combination of

maximising the number of seats, and creating an expensive and pleasant

experience for the patron was the most important factor in cinema

design.

No other cinema auditorium of this scale and type survives in

Scotland. It was listed Category B by Historic Scotland in 1974, and this was upgraded to Category A in 2008.

Opening in the late 1920s, when variety shows were still part of the

cinema experience, the Playhouse was designed from the beginning with a

large stage and full-height fly tower; this has proved key to its

survival and re-use as a theatre venue.

The building has a

unique design, making best use of its steeply sloping site, with a

small low facade giving little indication of the scale of the

auditorium concealed behind; the grand circle is entered from street

level, with stairs down to the stalls, and stairs up to the upper

circle.

Auditorium

John

Fairweather was born in Glasgow in 1867 and died 1942. He specialised

in designing cinemas for travelling families who were showing film

performances at fairgrounds but wanted to settle down with permanent

venues. Most of his cinemas were built for the Kemp and Green families

and he principally worked for George Green from 1913 onwards. He is

probably best known for creating the largest cinema in Europe, Green’s Playhouse

in Glasgow, which seated 4368 people. Prior to this, Fairweather was

sent to the US by the Green family from 1922-23 in order to study

cinema design there, and was particularly interested in the buildings

by Thomas Lamb (a Scottish emigrant).

Auditorium

John Fairweather’s cinemas typically take a conservative approach to

their respective street frontages. The interiors were usually Beaux

Arts styled with Corinthian columns on a grand scale and a saucer dome

in the ceiling - most of his Green's Playhouses, as well as the Capitol , Ibrox, followed this pattern.

His

design for the Edinburgh Playhouse interior was quite different -

notably not built for Green's, but for the Edinburgh based Maguire and

Lumley. Building commenced on the Playhouse in 1927, although opening was delayed for nearly a year after subsidence was found.

The

remedial works included removing sections of brickwork, breaking into

the steel columns and 'jacking up the building' whilst piles were

driven down into bedrock - some going down as far as 60 feet.

John Foubister, the building Chief Engineer of the time, personally

supervised these operations. In addition, hundreds of tons of concrete

was poured into new foundation sections, and the steel tie rods which

form adjustable counter-buttresses were added to the inside of the rear

wall.

These works cost almost as much as the original construction, nearly bankrupting the parent company.

Opening on the Glorious Twelfth’ of August, 1929, the Playhouse originally seated 3,040. These

were made up of 1,500 seats in the Stalls (coloured crimson, costing

1/3), 680 in the circle (coloured purple, costing 2/4), and 860 in the

balcony (coloured old gold, costing 1/- in the front, 9d in the back).

Despite

its huge stage, and numerous dressing rooms (stage 45ft deep, 85 ft

wide; 30 dressing rooms; proscenium 49ft wide by 38ft high.), the

Playhouse was designed and built to be first and foremost a cinema, by

one of Scotland’s premier cinema architects. The opening notices in the

press refer to the ' New Super Cinema - Edinburgh Playhouse ' and

' Edinburgh's largest cinema - the Playhouse in Leith Walk. ' [3].

Fairweather

had studied cinema design in the USA, and brought many ideas back with

him to Scotland. The 1927 Roxy was the Cathedral of the Motion

Picture’; the largest, grandest and most expensive cinema ever built.

The Scotsman suggested that ' The

Playhouse has been modelled on the Roxy Cinema Theatre in New York '

[3], although this seems likely to refer to its scale and opulence,

rather than any direct architectural connection. Edinburgh’s Playhouse

is therefore its closest surviving spiritual descendent in Scotland.

The

gradient on the sloping site is 1 in 4.5; the auditorium was cleverly

planned to suit the ground levels. The entrance had shops on either

side, and was 'flanked at the corners by a separate entrance to the

cafe on two upper floors, and an independent exit from the stalls

floor.' [1]

'Blaxter stone' was used for the frontage; with light buff-coloured

bricks for the side and back walls. The entrance is 29ft wide and 30ft

high; the entire frontage is 102 ft wide.

It was built on the site of the Tabernacle, an Edinburgh landmark for over 100 years.

The entrance vestibule had pay boxes on either side, partly recessed,

with a Terrazo floor and fibrous plaster to ceiling and walls, with

woodwork in mahogany and Borneo cedar. The original decorative scheme

was 'muffled tints of green, warm grey and old old ivory relieved with

gold.' [1]

The vestibule leads into the Grand Foyer. This is 45ft by 34 ft.

'Ceiling is segmental with top-lighting, double-glazed with ornamental

leaded work executed by A Cunningham & Co (Edinburgh). Lower walls

panelled in Borneo Cedar.’ The original colour scheme was 'muffled

tones of orange, yellow and old ivory'. [1] There was a medallion

design carpet by Templeton & Co, Glasgow.

Main Foyer

There were tea rooms on two floors, plus a tea, coffee and soda fountain lounge [2].

There

are several interesting light fittings in the vestibule area,

especially the two bronze lamps on either side of main staircase:

figures holding lamps, standing on fish with open mouths. There are two

deco style ceiling light fittings on either side of the central

back-lit glazed ceiling.

From here there are steps down in the

centre to the stalls and downstairs bars; stairs up on either side of

this to the balcony. Entrances straight ahead on either side of these

central stairs lead to the circle.

Auditorium

The auditorium is unlike any other Fairweather cinema; the typical

Green’s Playhouse had large Corinthian pillars down each side of the

auditorium and a large oval dome in the centre of the ceiling.

Edinburgh’s Playhouse – notably not designed for Green’s - has neither

of these.

The original auditorium colour scheme had 'Tones of ivory and stone

predominate on the walls, and the roof is decorated with bands of pale

green leaves intersected with gold at intervals. The seats in the

different parts of the house have been upholstered to harmonise with

the general scheme of the decoration. The organ fronts are in Venetian

style, and the clock settings, which are square, are neat and

attractive. ' [2]

'The

wall treatment is plain with Borneo Cedar panelling. Ornamental plaster

work has been concentrated on the proscenium border, organ chambers,

balcony fronts, and windows on side walls'

'Pelmet and leg drops are

wine-coloured velour with ornament worked in gold, and gold and silver

cloth curtain and drapings mask in the picture screens' [1]

The

auditorium is 100ft wide by 114 deep; the main ceiling is 66ft high.

The interior is not as originally conceived. Early drawings show an

atmospheric interior, with Moorish temples in the alcoves either

side. As built, it is actually a nautical theme. The rear

wall of the original Stalls Foyer and Mezzanine (opposite the stairs

going down) was meant to represent an old Galleon, with the columns etc

complementing the 'stern of the ship' you were looking towards.

All

of the bespoke plasterwork throughout the building, is of sea

anemonies, conches, and other sea plants. The details around the

proscenium arch feature a clam shell with a sea horse on either side,

anemone in the centre, and small flowers in the centre of every

'trellis' crossing. The decoration at the bottom of the pilasters

either side is a pair of dolphins. The clam shell motif is repeated

elsewhere.

On each side of the auditorium, at balcony

level, there are four panels which have red curtain material behind

them. These conceal windows which: 'At suitable times during the day

the auditorium can be flushed with nature's cleansers by simply opening

the windows in side and end walls, which during the performance are

shuttered to exclude the light.' [1]. The panels in the balcony, either side of the windows, with the

'celestial instruments' seem slightly out of place in the general decorative

scheme, perhaps 'off the shelf' panels were used at a time when money

was beginning to get extremely tight during the final stages of

completing the building.

One unusual feature of the auditorium is the plain, curved plaster area

directly above the proscenium. The opening descriptions of this are

very interesting:

'The

lighting is strikingly original, and in the

broad arch over the screen and the stage a special design is utilised

to depict either morning sunrise, a golden sunset, or the deep blue of

the sky of a summer evening - whichever is appropriate to the

occasion.' [3]. The central ceiling dome also originally had 9 circuits

of lighting in it, which actuallty formed a set of three interleaved

circuits, to allow red, blue, and green to be used, so some

atmosphereic effects could also be created with that.

Auditorium

The opening descriptions note that a Brenograph have been fitted

up by J Frank Brockliss Ltd ’

[1]. Brenographs

were designed to project a canopy of clouds moving across a field of

twinkling stars as used in the atmospheric theatre to complete the

illusion that the pictures are being viewed beneath nocturnal skies’

[9]. They were expensive pieces of equipment; this is the only known

documented instance of a Scottish installation. The Brenograph, which

was a complete dual unit, with a massive range of rotating effects and

attachments, was used to project onto the stage curtains and proscenium

area, but only as high up as the bottom of the permanent house

border. It was located in the centre of the projection room, and

a major limiting factor for the picture size in the Playhouse, was the

fact that anything projected from the room 'scraped' the underside of

the balcony to get out, and it was only possible to get to around 26'

up from the stage floor. The

projection booth was situated between the circle and the balcony,

reached by a separate entrance from outside. Originally, there were

four Simplex projectors, with two fitted out for sound equipment. [2]

The throw for the projectors to the screen was 104 ft.

Originally

there was a cinema organ; this was a three manual, 86-stop Hilsden

Organ [2]. At opening, the 'orchestra and organ [...] have unfamiliar

habits. The orchestra - when it is not required - disappears quietly by

means of an electric lift, and the organ goes up and down by the same

unusual means.' [3]. The Organ was built in 1927/28 by Henry Hilsdon of Glasgow, and was the

second largest organ ever installed in a Scottish Cinema, and the

largest to survive past the mid 1930's. Sections of it were actually

built in the basement of the theatre, in a room adjacent to the air

handling plant (Plenum Plant) and known until 1986 as 'the organ room'.

It had a total of 72 stop tabs controlling stops, tonal percussions,

traps (atonal percussions), couplers, and tremulants.

Gordon Lucas, Resident Organist from 19770-1973; theatre Technical Director from 1980-86, at the console of the Hilsdon organ .

This

controlled a total of 23 ranks of pipes, 5 ranks of tuned percussions,

and 10 atonal percussors, along with 11 'sound effects' controlled by

thumb and toe pistons. The organ as built, was classed as either

a 3/23 or 3/35ss at that time. It was enlarged in 1971, again in

1973, and again in 1980/81, and ended up with 35 ranks of pipes and 7

ranks of tuned percussions controlled by 186 stop tabs.

In 1993, the Hilsdon

Organ was removed from the building. This is now in the

possession of the Scottish Theatre Organ Preservation Society at the New Palace Theatre Organ Heritage Centre .

In 1992, the original canopy above the entrance was removed, and at the

same time the stage areas were extended and a new area was constructed

to improve access to the backstage areas.

Even

today, it is impressive walking through the building to see how much of

the original fixtures and fittings still exist today. In particular,

the main doors are wood and glass, with brass fittings. There are

numerous light fittings with metalwork and opaque glass shells or

scallop shapes, both on the main staircase down to stalls, and in

auditorium under the upper balcony. The quality of the finishings is

noticeable compared to other cinemas of the period, showing the high

budget that had been spent to create the largest, most luxurious cinema

for Scotland’s capital city.

The upstairs cross-corridor leading to the balcony has several alcoves with large stone urns in them (containing flowers).

the stalls there are several nice large etched-glass lit signage: 'No

Smoking', 'Gentlemen' etc. Seats: some have been replaced; most

(certainly in the balcony) could be original; with cast iron stanchions

between them; and decorative swirls at the end of rows.

The Orchestra pit extends under stage (as in the Theatre Royal Glasgow). There are excellent sightlines, even from very rear of the balcony.

The current decorative scheme is very dark, and somewhat unflattering.

Despite this, the building is mainly in good condition, although some

unfortunate holes in (non-decorative regions of) plasterwork above the

proscenium for chains to hang a lighting grid have been punched

through.

Perhaps most importantly, the feel’ of the building;

its character; is completely intact. This was built to be a unique

luxurious building worthy of Edinburgh; it was, and remains, Scotland’s

Picture Palace.

Auditorium

Ceiling

General Cinema Context: Top 15 UK Cinemas by Original Seating Capacity

Capacity

Date

Name

Town

Status

4254

09.27

Green's Playhouse

Glasgow

Demolished

4114

03.36

Green's Playhouse

Dundee

Only tower remains

4004

12.37

Gaumont State Kilburn

London

Empty

3725

12.28

Davis Theatre

Croydon

Demolished

3560

03.32

Gaumont Hammersmith

London

Extant [music venue]

3520

09.33

Troxy

London

Bingo

3500

12.30

Trocadero

London

Demolished

3400

09.31

Granada Tooting

London

Bingo Hall; Listed Grade I

3344

11.28

Empire

London

Gutted rebuilt 1961

3318

09.30

New Victoria

Bradford

Derelict

3300

12.32

Gaumont Palace

Lewisham

Demolished

3300

12.31

Regent

Plymouth

Demolished

3088

05.39

Odeon

Blackpool

Interior much altered

3060

07.31

Green's Playhouse

Ayr

Bingo

3053

08.29

Playhouse

Theatre

[Source: Picture House #16, 1990/1991, Cinema Theatre Association]

As of the Edinburgh Playhouse opening in August 1929, it was the 2nd largest in Scotland, and the 4th largest in the UK.

As of 2007, amongst cinema buildings remaining today with intact auditoria, it is the 7th largest in the UK:

4004

12.37

Gaumont State

Kilburn

3560

03.32

Gaumont Hammersmith

London

3520

09.33

Troxy

London

3400

09.31

Granada Tooting

London

3318

09.30

New Victoria

Bradford

3060

07.31

Green's Playhouse

Ayr

3053

08.29

Playhouse

References

Cinema Construction, August 1929, p 11 - 12

Kine Weekly, August 1929

Scotsman - 10 August 1929 (description)

Scotsman - 12 August 1929 (opening advert)

Edinburgh Theatres, Cinemas and Circuses, George Baird, p.399-403

The Last Picture Shows: Edinburgh, B Thomas, p.50

Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, p.439

Theatres Trust Guide to British Theatres, p. 62

The Best Remaining Seats, BM Hall, 1961, p. 94

Cathedrals of the Movies, David Atwell, p.115

Cinemas in Britain, Richard Gray, p. 56-7

Scottish Screen Archive Photographs: 6/1/496 (Exterior, 1971)

RCAHMS Coverage: here