King's Theatre, 2 Leven Street, Edinburgh

King's Theatre, 2 Leven Street, Edinburgh

A 4-storey, 5-bay Edwardian Baroque theatre designed by JD Swanston of Kirkcaldy and James Davidson of Coatbridge, built 1905–6. The building has undergone alterations in 1951 and refurbishment schemes in 1985 and 2012–13.

The theatre is constructed in Dumfries red sandstone ashlar with a base course, moulded dividing bands at first, second and third floors, and a mutuled eaves cornice topped by a balustered parapet. Windows are stone-mullioned in moulded surrounds, with predominantly plate glass in timber sash-and-case frames. The roof is finished in grey slates with a finialled lantern at its centre.

The west elevation on Leven Street features a projecting centre bay with paired two-leaf timber teak-panelled glazed doors with bevelled glass set in swirling Art Nouveau frames and Art Nouveau brass door furniture inlaid with enamel decoration. These doors are framed by an Ionic-columned timber surround with Art Nouveau stained glass in the windows above. The original canopy was replaced in 1950. A Diocletian window lights the first floor. A consoled keyblock carved as a female figure supports a two-storey oriel window. Corniced three-light windows with prominent keystones occupy the first and second floors, with a scrolled pediment and balusters to the first floor and a ribbed stone roof and pediment to the second. These are flanked by paired enriched Ionic columns on medallioned pedestals, crowned by a dentilled segmental pediment. The outer ground-floor bays have glazed openings between channelled pilaster strips, originally intended as shops. The inner flanking bays retain pedimented windows with bolection mouldings, now blocked. Bracketed and corniced two-light windows occupy the outer bays at first-floor level, aproned two-light windows with scrolled pediments sit at the second floor, and two-light windows at the third floor are carved with masks of tragedy and comedy between them. Splayed corner bays carry matching fenestration with single windows.

The north elevation on Tarvit Street continues the dividing bands, cornice and balustrade from the principal elevation. The outer right bay is red sandstone, channelled at ground floor, with a glazed opening to the right (formerly a shop window) and a small door to the left. Two-light windows occupy the right side and single windows the left at first, second and third floors, echoing the treatments of the main elevation. Rear bays are rendered above a red sandstone ground floor and feature irregular fenestration. Access to the steep stairs to the upper gallery is provided here.

The south side elevation similarly carries the dividing bands and cornice from the principal elevation. The left bay is red sandstone, channelled at ground floor, with a former shop window glazed opening and single, two-light and paired two-light windows mirroring the principal elevation's treatments. Bays to the right are brick with irregular fenestration, and a metal fire escape is built out to the rear.

The interior features two-leaf mahogany doors with oval panels set with stained glass serving all public areas. The foyer contains paired wooden kiosks with Ionic colonettes, a terazzo floor, and decorative fibrous plasterwork (now painted yellow and gilded) with a coffered ceiling. A Tudor-style bar and smoking room features dark wood panelling and a fireplace with a decorative metal hood. A polished marble staircase with marble handrails and alabaster balusters rises to the circle level, with a brass handrail along the centre. A further bar at mezzanine level has ornate doors flanked by gilded female figures atop segmental pediments. A triple staircase provides access to the circle. Finishes at upper levels comprise varnished oak of high quality. The Director's room at the south-west corner of the third floor is oak-panelled.

The auditorium is decorated in gilded French Renaissance-style plasterwork featuring trumpet-playing putti. Three tiers of boxes with caryatids representing music and the arts are positioned between two tiers of seating. The 2012–13 refurbishment scheme included repainting of the auditorium dome mural by artist John Byrne entitled "All the Worlds a Stage".