Getting a building ready for a performance is always a special kind of magic - the anticipation, the last-minute touches, the shuffling of people in the building creating what’s about to come alive. But preparing Leith Theatre for its first live theatre performance since 2018…that’s something else entirely. It’s not just about getting the lights on and the stage set - it’s about preparing a much-loved space and inviting people back into its story.

The Leith Fisherman’s Prayer is written on the Water of Leith near Colburg Street, overlooking the shore.

Some of you may have already come to see Restless Natives: The Musical and noticed something different, something that invites people to feel what we feel and to see what we see when we look at this building: possibility, history, beauty and belonging.

This month we wanted to mark an important moment at the beginning of our National Lottery Heritage Fund project. Installed across the front windows of the building, we’ve created a display that brings the inside out, shining a light on the spirit and community that has shaped Leith Theatre. These new window designs are more than decoration. They are a celebration of the theatre's journey and its future, not just as a structure, but as a place for people.

The journey to these designs was collaborative, thought-provoking and rooted in the community. We listened to the voices of those who have visited in the past, gathering words, memories and hopes for the future. From “elegantly dishevelled yet classically beautiful” capturing the essence of the building to Leith Theatre is “the beating heart of Leith”, your words help centre our community in Leith Theatre’s story.

The Leith Fisherman’s Prayer, a quiet but powerful reflection rediscovered during this process, deeply resonated with our team. It felt like it belonged here, speaking to Leith’s maritime roots, the resilience of the community and the enduring presence of the theatre itself. The poem itself can be found just 4 minutes' walk from the theatre, written on the ground along the water of Leith beside Coburg Street.

We knew we needed to mark this moment not just as a milestone in our journey towards restoration, but as a statement of intent. This building matters. Its heritage matters. And most importantly, the people who breathe life into it matter. These windows stand as a symbol of everything we are working towards: a Leith Theatre that is alive, welcoming and firmly rooted in its past while building its future.

It’s beautiful, it’s real and it’s yours.

So come down and see!
Walk past the front windows.
Take a look and see what’s possible.

Check Out What’s Coming Up at Leith Theatre Below.

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We’d like to thank the photographers who helped capture the photographs we have selected, snippets of Leith Theatre’s journey with the trust driving its revitalisation, our community who have shared their words and echoed our love for this building and Eastern Exhibition & Display who helped our vision become a reality.