The Company
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company is one of Scotland’s premiere producing theatres. Established in 1965 it has gained a reputation for excellence in both classical and contemporary work. As part of Scotland’s national theatre community, we are committed to developing the considerable indigenous talents whilst presenting the best of international drama. The Lyceum aims to reach as wide an audience as possible, whatever their age or experience of theatre-going, and to enable them to access the richly imaginative world of drama. Over 3,000 season ticket holders come to every show, and approximately 100,000 people come to our plays, workshops, and participatory events each year.
With a seating capacity of 658, the building is a magnificent example of late Victorian theatre architecture. Our offices and rehearsal space are directly across the road, and our scenic workshop and wardrobe-making departments are situated at Roseburn, which is a little over a mile away from the theatre.
The Company presents up to eight productions during the period September to July with a six/seven play season, for which we sell season tickets. Outside of this period, we host festivals such as Imaginate and the Magic Festival. The Lyceum Youth Theatre runs Summer on Stage courses in July, and in August the theatre is used as an Edinburgh International Festival venue.
Our policy is to develop a local, UK and international profile for the theatre that is uniquely Scottish; this includes commissioning new Scottish work, giving second productions to contemporary Scottish plays and producing classics of world theatre. The Company aspires to touring successful productions whenever possible.
50 full time and 30 part time staff are employed at The Lyceum. There are two joint Chief Executives, David Greig (Artistic Director) and Mike Griffiths (Executive Director). There are 11 Board Directors chaired, since September 2021, by Tari Lang.
The Lyceum operates in an increasingly competitive environment where there are around 9,000 theatre seats to be filled every night in a city with a population of 495,000 and, within a catchment area of a 30-mile radius a total population of 750,000.
The Company has an operating turnover of around £3.52 million of which just over £1.4 million is in grant aid from its principal funders, Creative Scotland, and the City of Edinburgh Council. The box office income is budgeted at around £1.4 million. Other income is raised through sponsorship, hires and lettings. The theatre has a trading arm which generates income through the bars, events and rental activities for conferences and meetings. The restaurant is rented to Zucca.
The Royal Lyceum Theatre, workshop buildings and administration buildings are all owned by the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company is an equal opportunities employer. The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company Ltd is a Charity registered in Scotland. No. SC010509.