Edinburgh Playhouse

The Edinburgh Playhouse is a 3,059 seat theatre on Greenside Place in central Edinburgh, and the largest all seated theatre in the UK. Run by ATG Entertainment, it opened in 1929 as a super cinema and now hosts large scale touring musicals, big name comedy, dance and live music, as well as performances during the Edinburgh International Festival and the Festival Fringe each August. The Category A listed building seats audiences across Stalls, Circle and Balcony, has five bars and a lounge, and sits roughly a ten minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley station.

The Playhouse opened on 12 August 1929, not as a theatre but as a super cinema modelled on New York's Roxy. It was designed by John Fairweather, a specialist cinema architect best known for Green's Playhouse in Glasgow. Contemporary accounts of the opening described walls in tones of ivory and stone, a ceiling banded with pale green leaves picked out in gold, Venetian style organ fronts and neat square clock settings, with seating upholstered to match each part of the house.

The cinema closed in the early 1970s and demolition was threatened. A public campaign gathered a petition of 15,000 signatures, and in 1974 the building was listed at Category B. Between 1978 and 1980 the Lothian Region Architects Department converted the cinema into a working theatre, giving the building the stage and auditorium arrangement audiences use today.

Edinburgh District Council sold the theatre into private ownership in 1983. It passed through a series of owners, including Norman Springford, the Apollo Leisure Group, SFX and Clear Channel Entertainment, before coming to ATG in 2009. Historic Scotland upgraded the listing to Category A in 2008. The venue's scale has suited more than shows alone: it staged the wrestling and weightlifting events at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

Like many buildings of its age, the Playhouse has a resident ghost story. Staff talk of Albert, a figure in a grey coat said to appear on level six and around the bar on circle level, accompanied by a sudden chill. Accounts differ on who he was, with some describing a stagehand killed in an accident and others a night watchman.

The Playhouse is an older building on a sloping site, so it is worth planning your route to your seat before you book. There is no lift in the theatre.

• Step-free entrance: there is level access from the entrance into the Circle Bar, on the right hand side of the main foyer.
• Wheelchair users: there are 8 step-free wheelchair positions and 8 seats suitable for transferring to a theatre seat, with a slight incline to these seats. Wheelchair space widths are up to 110cm.
• Fewest steps: for level access with only one step, the theatre recommends Circle Row M. In the Circle there are handrails from Row K to Row A and at the AA and BB seats.
• Stairs elsewhere: the Stalls are 40 steps (four flights) down from street level, with handrails on the stairs though not to every seat. The Balcony is up 25 steps (two flights) with handrails on the stairs; the seating itself is steeper than the other levels, has no handrails and offers more limited legroom. The Bistro and Ambassadors Lounge are up three flights, and the Director's Box is up six steps.
• Accessible toilet: there is one accessible toilet on the Ground (Circle) level, reached through the Circle Bar. There are no dedicated accessible toilets on the other levels.
• At Seat Service: drinks and snacks can be brought to your seat on request; just ask a member of the Front of House team when you arrive.

Seats and legroom

Seats are around 40cm wide (excluding armrests) in the Stalls, Circle and Balcony. Stalls armrests do not move, and Balcony armrests are smaller. If you need extra legroom in the Stalls, ask for Row L.

Assisted performances

Audio described performances and touch tours are offered on selected shows and are advertised on each show's page. For a closer view of the stage, Stalls Rows A to E are recommended, and Stalls Rows C to E for audio description. For the infrared hearing system, Stalls Rows B to E work best; tell the door staff on arrival that you need a headset. For BSL interpreted performances, seats from Row J forward give the clearest view of the interpreter, and for captioned performances the mid to front Stalls or mid to front Circle are recommended. Rear seats on all levels are best avoided for assisted performances.

Booking and contact

ATG's free Access Membership Scheme lets you book accessible seats online, book an essential companion ticket if eligible and receive news of access performances. Accessibility Assistance can be reached on 0333 009 5399, or via Typetalk on 1800 1 0333 009 5399.