The Best Film and Theatre Venues in Edinburgh

From Intimate Spaces to Grand Auditoriums 

With the likes of the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Edinburgh International Film Festival taking place every year, Edinburgh needs to have plenty of venues, to suit both the large scale and smaller, more intimate, performances. Of the dozens of theatre and film venues in the Scottish capital, we’ve chosen our five favourites:

Festival Theatre

Edinburgh Festival Theatre by Dancewear Central

The Edinburgh Festival Theatre, as the name suggests, plays an important role during festival season. Despite numerous renovations and rebuilds, the site of the Festival Theatre has had a venue of one kind or another since 1830. The glass façade that makes it so recognisable was added in 1994, but its lavish interior harks back to an era gone by. The Festival Theatre always plays host to some of the biggest performances during the festivals and 2015 will surely be no different as thousands of festival goers flock to this iconic venue.

What’s on?

The pick of the early 2015 line-up is the Edinburgh leg of the hugely popular One Man, Two Guvnors production. The show is in the Scottish capital between the 17^th and 21^st Febraury.

Dominion Cinema

With its distinct modernist architecture, the 1930s Dominion Cinema is one of Edinburgh’s alternative landmarks. The interior, with its mix of modern and traditional décor is a world away from the multiplexes that are so common today. The cinema shows most of the big Hollywood blockbusters, and is one of the venues for the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

What’s on?

Having recently picked up a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking, Eddie Redmayne’s star turn in The Theory of Everything is an absolute must see. The film is in cinemas now.

Royal Lyceum Theatre

The Royal Lyceum Theatre, built in 1881, and altered only very slightly since, is Edinburgh’s most original and classical theatre venue. In addition to the range of festival performances that take place in the theatre ever year, the Royal Lyceum also has an in-house cast and crew who put on seven magnificent plays annually, often reworking established classics.

What’s on?

The Lyceum also regularly plays host to fascinating evenings with celebrated authors. April 2015 sees both Jo Nesbo and Edinburgh’s very own Irvine Welsh, where will both be discussing their life, work and current novels.

Bedlam Theatre

If you’re after an intimate performance, the Bedlam Theatre suits perfectly, as its auditorium holds a mere 92 people. Completely run by students of the city, Bedlam, as the name hints to, has a strong comedic repertoire. The Improverts, Edinburgh’s own improv group, are regulars here, and they are complemented by a range of poetry nights, musicals and plenty of side-splitting sketch shows.

What’s on?

The Improverts host their regular comedy night every Friday. Pop along to see what is guaranteed to be a completely unique performance.

Edinburgh Playhouse

With 3,059 seats, the Edinburgh Playhouse is the UK’s largest traditional theatre and musical venue. Due to its large capacity, it’s where a lot of the biggest names in music, comedy and performance art call home on the Edinburgh leg of their tour. For example, the famous musical Wicked, has recently visited the Playhouse during its UK tour.

What’s on?

Edinburgh Playhouse is the go to venue for the country’s biggest stand ups, and Jimmy Carr, Bill Bailey and Dara O Briain will be gracing the stage in 2015.

On your next visit to Edinburgh, there’s no excuse to not treat yourself to a captivating theatre show or blockbuster musical. To make your night out extra special, join us at the North Bridge Brasserie for our famous pre-theatre menu. Featuring three courses of delicious Scottish delicacies, meticulously prepared by our Executive Head Chef Paul Hart, it’s the perfect way to begin an unforgettable evening in the Scottish capital.