Young Fathers play reborn theatre

Mercury Prize winners Young Fathers are to stage a rare home-town gig at a neglected theatre which was closed for almost 30 years.

The hip hop outfit will be headlining the Hidden Door Festival, which will be taking over the historic Leith Theatre building, close to their basement recording studio on Great Junction Street.

Young Fathers were formed by Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham Hastings after they met at an under16s hip hop night in the former Bongo Club in the Old Town.

The band shot to fame in 2014 when the won the Scottish Album of the Year award and the Mercury Prize within the space of a few months, and headlined Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations.

Hidden Door, which is being staged for a fifth time in May and June, will be transforming the 86-year-old venue, which was closed down at the end of the 1980s after falling into disrepair, for the second year in row.

Also appearing at the festival will be Grammynominated electro-pop duo Sylvan Esso, Mercury Prize nominee C Duncan, and Scottish indie favourites Admiral Fallow and Emma Pollock.