Assembly Rooms And Music Hall

• Theatre ID
  2762
• Built / Converted
  —
• Dates of use
  • : A ‘found space’ - never formally converted to theatre use
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  —
• Address
  54 George Street & 53a Rose Street, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland

Details

A fine classical building and a landmark in George Street. Although not built as a theatre or regularly used as such apart from Festival time, this building is seminal to the development of the thrust stage for it was here that Tyrone Guthrie found the physical actor-audience relationship which he later built upon in Canada. In England the Sheffield Crucible (q.v.) is the nearest to Guthrie’s concept. It also proved to be the inspiration for Bill Howell’s Young Vic (q.v.).

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• Events
  • Use: A ‘found space’ - never formally converted to theatre use
  • 1787 Design/Construction: as Assembly Rooms
    • John Henderson - Architect
  • 1818 Alteration: portico added
    • William Burn - Architect
  • 1843 Alteration: concert hall
    • William Burn & David Bryce - Architect
  • 1865 Alteration: ballroom extended
    • Bryce - Architect
  • 1883 Alteration: vestibule
    • John Bryce - Architect
  • 1907 Alteration: wings and corresponding rooms added
    • R Rowand Anderson & A J Balfour Paul - Architect
  • 1796 Design/Construction:
• Listings
  • Grade A