The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Eden Court ready to take first steps back after closure
The Highlands’ main theatre complex will reopen to the public this week for the first time in seven months – despite it being cheaper for it to remain closed.
Two cinemas and a newlook cafe bar area at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness will welcome visitors initially from Thursdays to Mondays.
Capacity has been reduced at La Scala cinema from 138 to 37 and the Playhouse from 86 to 25 to meet social distancing guidelines.
The cinemas will reopen by showing the sci-fi epic Tenet, Les Miserables, a new adaptation of The Secret Garden, music documentary White Riot and new psychological horror Saint Maud.
The theatre will also feature drama, opera, ballet and music on screen in its OneTouch Theatre, with tickets on sale in November.
James Mackenzie-Blackman, the theatre’ s chief executive, said: “To reopen our doors 226 days after we closed them feels like a huge moment for us. We do so with excitement and nervousness about how successful our reopening will be, because the pandemic has devastated our cash position.
“The best way that folks can support us over the coming weeks would be to step through our doors and work with us to make our reopening the success it needs to be.”
Mr Mackenzie-Blackman said lockdown, which saw the postponement or cancellation of live performances, has been the biggest threat to the theatre in its 44-year history.
He said it would be cheaper to remain closed but felt there is a civic duty to reopen.
“We are at the heart of the city and lots of folk are really keen for us to reopen. It is a risk. It’s been a financially devastating year for us, we would be less financially exposed if we stayed closed. But I feel we have got a civic responsibility and reopening Eden Court feels the right thing to do for the community.
“There were familiar faces who would pop into Eden Court every day and often the interactions they had with staff were the only interactions they had all day. So we provide a really vital community resource from tackling loneliness to engaging people with great cinema.
“We want this to be the beginning of our rebuild. It will be a long and slow journey – we still don’t have permission for indoor live performance and it will be some time before we get artists back in front of audiences but, hopefully, this is the beginning of us getting going again.”
Paul MacDonald-Taylor, the theatre’s head of film and visual art, said: “The light of the Eden Court projectors has been dormant since March. While the safety of our staff and audience will be our paramount concern in the coming months, I’m delighted that our cinemas will be reopening.
“There is a wealth of wonderful films out there waiting to be shown, where films really need to be seen – in the cinema. I’ve always felt that our screens are a window to the world – it’s now time for that window to be opened again.”