Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
The Royal Lyceum Theatre, a fine example of a beautiful Victorian theatre, opened in 1883.
A theatre space ever since, in 1965 the building was leased from City of Edinburgh Council by the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company. Currently the official capacity of the auditorium is 658. Recent renovations in 1996 improved support services and circulation space. However as would be expected with a theatre of this vintage, leg room in most seats is limited. Some seats are distinctly better than others – so choose carefully. But generally seats are more comfortable than those at the King’s up Lothian Road.
The Lyceum is known primarily for its seasons of drama throughout the year and its role hosting contributions to the Edinburgh International Festival. However opera-goers will recall occasional productions here over the years from Scottish Opera and others, the intimacy of its auditorium being well suited to the works of Rossini and Mozart.
Research by OperaScotland has shown that some important operas received their first Scottish performance at the Lyceum, including Manon (1885) Madam Butterfly (1907) and perhaps surprisingly given the size of the forces normally involved, Die Meistersinger (1894).
