It’s nearly four years since the Old Lady of Leven Street, the King’s Theatre, shut its doors for a major refurb and the city has palpably felt its absence, particularly amongst Edinburgh’s amateur companies that pepper its annual schedule with productions of, inevitably, varying quality.

So it was a stroke of genius to make the re-opening show (billed as a technical and dress rehearsal for the Old Lady to ‘stress test’ the building) a potpourri of community theatre.  All musical in one way or another. The interval evacuation of the building was a particularly important operational challenge that passed muster with no real drama.

The Old Lady really has been dolled up quite a bit without losing any of its Edwardian charm. Future visitors will be thrilled by its new, but not too new, lustre and accessibility.

The show is MCed by Kings’ panto favourites Clare Gray and Gail Watson, who had much of the audience in stitches with their brilliant banter – a night that proved to be utterly joyful, aided by their excellent repartee.

There was barely a mis-step creatively or technically.

The lavvies worked. The bars coped. The FOH staff smiled.

OK, one or two of the doors maybe needed a rubber wedge here or there. But… it worked.

The night consisted of showcases from Bohemians Lyric Opera Company, Edinburgh Gang Show, Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Edinburgh Music Theatre, Showcase, Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group, and Southern Light, culminating in a Community Choir kind of Edinburgh Band Aid recital of what makes Edinburgh great.

There were few dry eyes after that.

Two hours of the best of musical theatre really was a treat for an audience of luvvies (this reviewer includes himself in that description) and cast family and friends, but the occasion somehow raised each 15-20 minute performance to higher levels.  It felt a little like the Commonwealth Games of Edinburgh musical theatre’s opening ceremony, coincidentally as the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony was in full flow in Glasgow.

Special mention has to go out to the Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s wonderful extracts from their forthcoming production of Iolanthe, that managed to weave in a reference to Farage vs Count Binface, and to EUSOG’s magnificent rendition of ‘Seasons of Love’ from Rent. The Edinburgh Gang Show also excelled with a marvellous distillation of its 2025 Festival Theatre show including the very funny ‘Missing W’ sketch and, of course, an abbreviated ‘Crest of a Wave’ rendition. But in truth, every company performed to an exemplary level of quality.

It’s impossible to mark this night of glorious community involvement down in any way whatsoever. Five stars is merited in both the quality of the entertainment and the professional delivery of Capital Theatres in reintroducing our Old Lady to her beloved following.

Bravo.