The Gateway Theatre (built as the New Edinburgh Veterinary College) was a Category C listed building in Edinburgh, Scotland, situated on Elm Row at the top of Leith Walk.

History

Veterinary College

The building was purpose-built by William Hamilton Beattie, George Beattie and Sons in 1882 to accommodate W. Owen Williams' New Veterinary CollegeMackie, A.D (1965), "Forty-One Elm Row", in ''The Twelve Seasons of the Edinburgh Gateway Company, 1953 - 1965'', St. Giles Press, Edinburgh (not to be confused with the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College, which is still extant, elsewhere in the city). In 1904, the College vacated the building, with a professor and eleven students relocating to the veterinary faculty at University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science, Liverpool. The college buildings were sold to William Perry in 1908, who then applied for a roof to be built over the courtyard to create a roller-skating rink.

Cinema

Perry's rink did not last long and the building was converted again in 1910, by architect Ralph Pringle, into a cinema known as Pringle's New Picture Palace. It was also for a period in 1929-30 known as The Atmospheric.

Repertory Theatre

When the cinema closed in the 1930s, the building was used as a theatre by an amateur dramatics group. During this time, it was known as Millicent Ward's Studio Theatre and the Festival Theatre, before being renamed the Broadway in 1938. Shortly after World War II, the war, the premises were gifted to the Church of Scotland. The Kirk appointed the Rev. George Candlish as director and formed its own repertory theatre company based in the venue. The building re-opened as a theatre in 1946, with seating for 542. Sadie Aitken was appointed Theatre Manager and remained in that post until 1965. She was responsible for changing the name of the theatre to The Gateway.Elder, Michael (2003), ''What do You do During the Day?'', Eldon Productions, pp. 15 - 154 It was a venue for the precursor of what would become the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, hosting the Pilgrim Players who performed two T.S. Eliot plays, The Family Reunion and Murder in the Cathedral. By 1953, the Church had handed the theatre over to an independent, professional theatre company, with the playwright Robert Kemp (playwright), Robert Kemp as Chairman of the Board. The Kirk retained control of the front-of-house, the box office and the café.Kemp, Robert (1965). "The First Seven Years", in ''The Twelve Seasons of the Edinburgh Gateway Company, 1953 - 1965'', St. Giles Press, Edinburgh The Edinburgh Gateway Company included many of Scotland's finest actors and actresses (Tom Fleming (actor), Tom Fleming and Lennox Milne were co-founders) and its repertoire included many plays by contemporary Scottish dramatists. Between the years 1953 and 1965, this company produced 150 plays. Molly MacEwen, who had designed the costumes for Tyrone Guthrie's Edinburgh International Festival production of ''Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaites'' and the sets and costumes for Kemp's ''Let Wives Tak Tent'', both in 1948, was appointed as the company's designer.

1953-54 season

For the 1953-54 season, the company included Tom Fleming, Lennox Milne, Marjorie Dalziel, Michael Elder, Sheila Donald, John Young (actor), John Young, George P. Davies, Ian MacNaughton, Rona Anderson, Sheila Prentice, Margaret Hilder, Kathryn Orr and Anthony Howat. James "Gibbie" Gibson was producer. The plays staged were ''The Forrigan Reel'' by James Bridie, ''An Inspector Calls'' by J. B. Priestley, J.B. Priestley, ''What Every Woman Knows (play), What Every Woman Knows'' by J. M. Barrie, J.M. Barrie, ''The Other Dear Charmer'' by Robert Kemp (playwright), Robert Kemp, an adaptation of ''A Christmas Carol'' by Roger Weldon, ''Bunty Pulls the Strings'' by Graham Moffat, ''Hame'' by Albert Mackie, ''The Herald's Not for Sale'' by A.B. Paterson, the double-bill ''Rory Aforesaid'' and ''The Glen is Mine'' by John Brandane, ''One Traveller Returns'' by Moray McLaren, and ''The Heart Is Highland, The Heart is Highland'' by Robert Kemp.Edinburgh Gateway Company (1965), ''The Twelve Seasons of the Edinburgh Gateway Company, 1953 - 1965'', St. Giles Press, Edinburgh, pp. 43 - 56

1954-55 season

The company's Council resisted a bid by the Edinburgh International Festival's Director, Sir Ian Hunter, to take over the Gateway for the period of the Festival, choosing instead to mount its own productions during August. In August 1954, the company staged a repeat production of Kemp's ''The Other Dear Charmer'', Meg Buchanan playing the maid in place of Marjorie Dalziel, and Marillyn Gray replacing Kathryn Orr in the role of Jenny Clow. The American theatre director Peter Potter joined the company as guest producer for the season, while James Gibson was working in London. The other plays staged in the 1954-55 season were ''The Dashing White Sargeant'' by Campbell Gairdner and Rosamunde Pilcher, ''Meeting at Night'' by James Bridie, ''The Flouers o Edinburgh'' by Robert McLellan, ''The Burning Glass'' by Charles Langbridge Morgan, Charles Morgan, ''The World My Parish'' and ''Family Circle'' by Robert J.B. Sellar, ''Rope (play), Rope'' by Patrick Hamilton (writer), Patrick Hamilton, ''The Lass wi the Muckle Mou'' by Alexander Reid (playwright), Alexander Reid, ''Christmas in the Market Place'' by Henri Ghéon, and ''Marigold'' by Robert Kemp and Cedric Thorpe Davie, ''Sheena'' by Albert D. Mackie, ''Mr. Gillie'' by James Bridie, and ''The Laird o' Grippy'' by Robert Kemp, in which John Laurie played the leading role.

1955-56 season

Mary Helen Donald, Norman Fraser, Brian Carey, Nell Ballantyne and Pamela Bain joined the company for the 1955-56 season. James Gibson rejoined the company as producer. Plays produced included ''The Conspirators'' and ''The Scientific Singers'' by Robert Kemp, ''Waiting for Gillian'' by Ronald Millar, ''Our Maggy'' by D. Heddle, ''Heather on Fire'' by Moray McLaren, ''Beneath the Wee Red Lums'' and ''Bachelors Are Bold'' by Tim Watson, ''The Boy David'' by J.M. Barrie, ''Susie Tangles the Strings'' by Graham Moffat, ''Come to the Fair'' by Robert J.B. Sellar, ''Ghosts and Old Gold'' by Reid Kennedy, and ''Juno and the Paycock by Seán O'Casey''.

1956-57 season

''The Anatomist (play), The Anatomist'' by James Bridie was the Festival production in August 1956. Christine Turnbull and Roddy McMillan joined the company during the 1956-57 season. Other productions included ''The Open'' by A.B. Paterson, ''Lucky Strike'' by Michael Brett, ''The Man Among the Roses'' by Robert Kemp, ''Tolka Row'' by Maura Laverty, ''Weir of Hermiston'' by Robert J.B. Sellar, ''Johnnie Jouk the Gibbet'' by Tim Watson, ''The Wax Doll'' by Alexander Reid, ''A Scrape o the Pen'' by Graham Moffat, and ''Muckle Ado'' by Moray McLaren. The company split in two after ''Muckle Ado'', one part making a winter tour of the South of Scotland with ''A Nest of Singing Birds'' by Robert Kemp. The rest of the company remained at The Gateway, staging ''The Tinkers of the World'' by Ian Hamilton (advocate), Ian R. Hamilton and ''MacHattie's Hotel'' by Albert D. Mackie. The full company came together again to end the season with ''The Admirable Crichton'' by J.M. Barrie and ''The Playboy of the Western World'' by John Millington Synge, J.M. Synge.

1957-58 season

The Festival production in August 1957 was ''The Flouers o Edinburgh''. Duncan Macrae (actor), Duncan Macrae played the Nabob and Walter Carr (actor), Walter Carr played the servant, Jack. Evelyn Elliot, Diana Tullis and André Coutin joined the company in 1957. Plays produced during the 1957-58 season included ''Dr. Angelus'' by James Bridie, ''Drama at Inish'' by Lennox Robinson, ''The Non-Resident'' by Moray MacLaren, ''The Penny Wedding'' and ''The Daft Days'' by Rober Kemp, ''Arise, Sir Hector'' by R.J.B. Sellar, ''When We Are Married'' by J.B. Priestley, ''The Wild Duck'' by Henrik Inbsen, and ''All in Good Faith'' by Roddy McMillan. The company split again in February 1958, the touring group taking Robert Kemp's ''The Other Dear Charmer'' to the Scottish Borders, Borders. The rest of the company staged ''All for Mary'' by Kay Bannerman and Harold Brooke, and ''Black Chiffon'' by Lesley Storm at The Gateway. The season ended with ''The Schoolmistress'' by Arthur Wing Pinero.

1958-59 season

Robert J.B. Sellar's adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel ''Weir of Hermiston'' was the Festival production in August 1958. Other plays produced in the autumn of 1958 were ''Keep in a Cool Place'' by William Templeton (screenwriter), William Templeton, ''Look Back in Anger'' by John Osborne, and ''The Warld's Wonder'' by Alexander Reid. The company then took ''The Penny Wedding'' to the Citizens Theatre, Citizens in Glasgow, Dundee Repertory Theatre, Dundee Rep and Perth Theatre, Perth as part of a Scottish Repertory exchange. On their return to Edinburgh the company staged ''Boyd's Shop'' by St. John Greer Ervine and ''A Doll's House'' by Henrik Ibsen. The Christmas production in 1958 was ''Miracle at Midnight'', a nativity play by Tom Fleming. The first play staged in the New Year was ''The Forrigan Reel''. Later in 1959, the company had a short summer run, reviving ''The Heart is Highland'', ''Muckle Ado'', ''The Open'' and ''Keep in a Cool Place''.

1959-60 season

There was no Festival production at The Gateway in 1959, as company members were fully engaged in Guthrie's final production of ''Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaites'' at the Church of Scotland, Kirk's General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland, Assembly Hall. Richard Mathews joined the company in 1959. Plays produced in the 1959-60 season included ''French Without Tears'' by Terence Rattigan, Terrence Rattigan, ''The Keys of Paradise'' by Ronald Mavor, ''Arsenic and Old Lace (play), Arsenic and Old Lace'' by Joseph Kesselring, ''The Master of Ballantrae'', ''The Ghost Train (play), The Ghost Train'' by Arnold Ridley, ''The Late Christopher Bean'' by Emlyn Williams, a revival of ''Miracle of Midnight'', and an adaption of ''Rob Roy (novel), Rob Roy'' by Robert Kemp.

1960-61 season

Moultrie Kelsall, Moultrie R. Kelsall became the company's Chairman in 1960.Kelsall, Moultrie R. (1965), "The Last Five", in ''The Twelve Years of the Edinburgh Gateway Company'', St. Giles Press, Edinburgh, pp. 31 - 41 The plays produced during the 1960-61 season were ''Mary Stuart in Scotland'' by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, ''The Taming of the Shrew'' by William Shakespeare, ''Master John Knox'' by Robert Kemp, ''The Lesson'' and ''The New Tenant'' by Eugène Ionesco, Eugene Ionesco, ''The Rainmaker (play), The Rainmaker'' by N. Richard Nash, ''Frost at Midnight'' by André Obey, ''Listen to the Wind'' by Angela Ainley Jeans and Vivian Ellis. ''My Three Angels'' by Sam and Bella Spewack, ''The Skin of Our Teeth'' by Thornton Wilder, ''The Comic'' by Maurice Fleming, and ''The Country Boy'' by John Murphy.

1961-62 season

The plays produced during the 1961-62 season were ''Let Wives Tak Tent'' by Robert Kemp, ''Papa is All'' by Patterson Greene, ''The Switchback'' by James Bridie, ''All My Sons'' by Arthur Miller, ''It Looks Like a Change'' by Donald MacLaren, ''The Man from Thermopylae'' by Ada F. Kay, ''Foursome Reel'' by Andrew Malcolm, ''That Old Serpent'' by John Prudhoe, ''Don't Tell Father'' by Harold Brooke and Kay Bannerman, ''Hot Summer Night (play), Hot Summer Night'' by Ted Willis, Baron Willis, Ted Willis, ''The Sleepless One'' by Vincent Brome, and ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' by George Bernard Shaw.

1962-63 season

John Cairney joined the company in 1962, playing James Boswell in Robert McLellan's ''Young Auchinleck''. The other plays produced during the 1962-63 season were ''The Good Soldier Schweik'' by Jaroslav Hašek, ''Juno and the Paycock'' by Sean O'Casey, ''The Rivals'' by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, ''The Birthday Party (play), The Birthday Party'' by Harold Pinter, ''The Perfect Gent'' by Robert Kemp, ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Othello'' by William Shakespeare, ''Noah'' by André Obey, ''The Little Minister'' by J.M. Barrie, ''The Italian Straw Hat (play), An Italian Straw Hat'' by Eugene Lebech and Marc-Michel, ''Bus Stop'' by William Inge, ''The Glass Menagerie'' by Tennessee Williams, and ''Waiting for Godot'' by Samuel Beckett.

1963-64 season

In 1963, Victor Carin was appointed as the company's Director of Productions. The plays produced during the 1963-64 season were ''All in Good Faith'' by Roddy MacMillan, ''The Hypochondriack'' by Victor Carin, ''Ring Round the Moon'' by Jean Anouilh, ''I'm Talking About Jerusalem'' by Arnold Wesker, ''Photo Finish'' by Peter Ustinov, ''Treasure Hunt'' by M.J. Farrell and John Perry, ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' by William Shakespeare, ''Tobias and the Angel'' by James Bridie, ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas (playwright), Brandon Thomas, ''Schweik in the Second World War'' by Bertolt Brecht, ''Someone Waiting'' by Emlyn Williams, and ''Arms and the Man'' by George Bernard Shaw.

1964-65 season

The plays produced during the 1964-65 season were ''The Golden Legend of Shultz'' by James Bridie, ''The Heart is Highland'' by Robert Kemp, ''She Stoops to Conquer'' by Oliver Goldsmith, ''The Fire Raisers (play), The Fire Raisers'' by Max Frisch, ''Marching Song'' by John Whiting, ''Present Laughter'' by Noël Coward, ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' by William Shakespeare, ''The Plough and the Stars'' by Seán O'Casey, ''The Scythe and the Sunset'' by Denis Johnston, ''Becket'' by Jean Anouilh, ''The Happiest Days of Your Life (play), The Happiest Days of Your Life'' by John Dighton, ''Our Town'' by Thornton Wilder, ''Heartbreak House'' by George Bernard Shaw, ''The Circle (play), The Circle'' by W. Somerset Maugham, Somerset Maugham, and ''Journey's End'' by R. C. Sherriff, R.C. Sheriff. STV Gateway Studio Exterior Day

End of the company

As City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Corporation was acquiring the Royal Lyceum Theatre to establish a civic theatre in 1965, the Gateway, then back in use as a cinema, closed once more. It was then purchased by Scottish Television in 1968. It was converted into the Scottish Colour Studio.

Queen Margaret University's School of Drama and Creative Industries

In its final public incarnation, it was one of three sites that comprised the Queen Margaret University (QMU) campus and was the last part of that university within the City of Edinburgh boundary. It was bought by the university in 1988 and converted back into a theatre for the expansion of the conservatoire Drama School and the theatre arts courses it offered. Alterations, by Law and Dunbar-Nasmith, were completed in 1994 at a cost of £5m. The theatre and its purpose-built facilities (such as voice studios, movement studios, radio and tv studios, an acting studio etc) helped consolidate QMU's reputation as one of the UK's leading Drama Schools attracting students and staff from across the world. Moreover, the theatre began to get a reputation as a top venue for national and international productions during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It, consequently, became Scotland's International Drama Centre in 1999. Extensive refurbishment work took place in 1998, funded with £1.5 million of National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lottery money. Then, in 2004, it launched an initiative with the Scottish Arts Council to promote Scottish talent during the Fringe. In 2005, the University was forced to close the theatre after a safety inspection declared it unsafe, with an estimated £3 million cost to make it so. This deprived the city of both a major Fringe venue and its principal drama school. In the immediate aftermath, it left three theatre companies - Scottish Dance Theatre, Theatre Cryptic and Vanishing Point (theatre company), Vanishing Point - without a base for that year's Fringe. Discussions were entered into as to whether to carry out the repairs to the main auditorium, or to relocate to the university's Craighall campus, which was opening in 2007. The possibility of using the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh was also discussed. Part of the Drama School transferred to the university's Corstorphine campus, while the Gateway continued to host QMU drama students in the Pend studio space until 2008. In 2006 the University obtained planning permission for demolition of the building to create residential accommodation. The building finally underwent conversion to accommodation in 2012. The site is now a student housing block, valued at £8m.

References

Bibliography

* Mackie, A.D., Kemp, Robert, Milne, Lennox, Fleming, Tom & Moultrie Kelsall, Kelsall, Moultrie R. (1965), ''The Twelve Seasons of the Edinburgh Gateway Company'', 1953 - 1965, St. Giles Press, Edinburgh * * Elder, Michael (2003), ''What do You do During the Day?'', Eldon Productions, *

External links

Programmes of the Edinburgh Gateway TheatreConservation Statement, June 2006
{{Coord, 55, 57, 35, N, 3, 10, 56, W, type:landmark_region:GB-EDH, display=title Theatres in Edinburgh Former theatres in Scotland