Edinburgh King's Theatre is saved from closure

The King's Theatre redevelopment project had already secured £26m

Edinburgh's King's Theatre has been saved from closure after the city council and Scottish government gave extra funding for its redevelopment.

Capital Theatres, the charity that runs the theatre in Tollcross, was £8.9m short after they were hit with soaring coasts due to inflation.

Now the council has given £3m more to the project and the Scottish government pledged an additional £3.85m.

The charity previously raised £26m to support the 100-year-old theatre.

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Fiona Gibson, CEO of Capital Theatres, said: "We are absolutely thrilled. It makes it possible for us to begin construction works as planned.

"We are immensely grateful to the many people who have supported us on this challenging journey - we could not have come this far without you."

Culture Minister Neil Gray said: "Edinburgh's reputation as a cultural and creative hub is renowned the world over and theatres like King's play a key role in sustaining this.

"The Scottish government has provided a total of £10.35 million in funding for the King's Theatre.

"This is testament to the value we place on the importance of its redevelopment and its future potential in supporting the arts, employment and community engagement."

In a typical year, Capital Theatres stages more than 700 performances across the King's Theatre, the Festival Theatre and The Studio featuring drama, dance, musical theatre, live music, comedy and pantomime.