The Category A-listed Playhouse Theatre on Greenside Place has applied for planning consent to construct a temporary covered walkway and staircase (Ref. 12/03983/LBC).
The purpose is to facilitate the surprise release of costumed cast members into the audience during performances of The Lion King, at some unspecified date.
The walkway would lead from the ground-level stage area via the existing east rear entrance to a proposed access to the circle area at first-floor level. In so doing, it would be necessary to build a new entrance through an existing window at this level.
A very interesting Historic Building Impact Assessment, which accompanies the application, appears at the foot of this page. It makes clear the architectural and cultural importance of this unusually opulent and, crucially, well-preserved structure.
It therefore strikes the Spurtle that the director of a passing light entertainment might perhaps consider slightly amending the production to fit the requirements of the building rather than the other way around.
Playhouse owners the Ambassador Theatres Group presumably disagree. Their agent's Design and Access Statement loftily opines that 'Historic importance should not be considered only in Architectural terms but also extend to encompass the social significance of the building in the locality. Similarly it should not be assumed that the impact of all works will of necessity be detrimental to the historic significance of the building. There is potential for much which may be beneficial to the long term future and appreciation of the historically valued elements of this building.'
The full statement can also be found at the foot of this page.
Call us cynical, but what we take from this is an implication that only by modifying the building now can its long-term future be guaranteed. Without such consent, the implication is that the Playhouse is doomed to mediocrity and failure, to desertion by a fickle and ungrateful populace of Philistines; doomed, doubtless, to the extinction of lights, reduction to dust and eventual replacement by a dull-as-dishwater outlet of Lidl's.
All this because a few actors cavorting about as Disney characters cannot cause enough embarrassment on the stage alone.
Spurtle is unconvinced.
We are sceptical that punching more 'unfortunate holes' into the building is justified by a desire to titivate audiences with a not-so-new or astounding coup de théâtre.
We are uncomfortable at setting a precedent which might permit the long-term Swiss-cheesification of an otherwise mostly coherent architectural treasure.
We are particularly unpersuaded about the wisdom of letting planning applicants redefine historic importance according to their own contingent and convenient understandings of 'social significance in the locality'.
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[img_assist|nid=3572|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=200|height=144]Like other north Edinburgh citizens, Broughtonians experience occasional sea breezes and so must endure those guffs and pongs sometimes borne southwards upon them from Seafield.
We therefore noted with interest the consent granted last week to an application to install thermal hydrolysis process equipment at 20 Marine Esplanade (Ref. 12/00812/FUL).
It will allow 'currently processed waste sludge to be pasteurised'.
Grateful as we were to read of this improvement, the wording put us right off our porridge.
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Update (24.11.12)
Since posting the article above about the Playhouse and 'The Lion King', Spurtle has been made very keenly aware that we have trespassed upon sensitive ground.
Major economic benefits would result from this major production alighting in Edinburgh. Public and private bodies are therefore anxious that it should not be put off coming here.
This presumably explains why news management of the subject is so tight, even within and between Council departments.
Spurtle wants economic benefits for Edinburgh, too. But we don't want our city, Broughton, or the Playhouse to just lie down and let a loveable warthog trample all over us.
We therefore urge locals and their political representatives to scrupulously monitor events over the following weeks and months.