Brunton Theatre Trust is calling for urgent support to ensure the show will go on, after East Lothian Council confirmed it is mothballing, and considering the demolition of the beloved building that has played a key role in boosting the Lothians’ economy for over 50 years.
The trust are ‘deeply saddened’ that structural engineers, planners and other experts have found the Brunton Hall in Musselburgh, home of Brunton Theatre Trust, beyond repair.
At the loss of its home of 30 years, Brunton Theatre Trust in East Lothian says urgent funding and support is needed now more than ever to ensure the local community and economy continues to benefit from the world-class arts, entertainment and creative learning it provides, even without the facilities of the Brunton Hall. It is also supporting calls for a new replacement purpose-built home that places arts and culture firmly at the heart of East Lothian.
Brunton Hall closure and potential demolition
The Trust’s purpose-built performance spaces at the council-owned Brunton Hall initially closed following the discovery of RAAC in 2023. At an East Lothian Council meeting on Tuesday 29 October 2024, it was decided that the whole building would be ‘mothballed’ indefinitely due to ‘significant structural issues, the condition of RAAC roof panels, the challenges of maintaining statutory compliance, and the poor working environment’ in the building. Council leaders also noted that due to a complex range of factors, with the condition of the whole building in question, permanently addressing the RAAC issues at the Brunton Hall appears to be unaffordable. In addition, even if additional propping was installed as a fix, “it would permanently render a number of rooms unusable for service delivery. This would include the Theatre, Venue 1 and the Supper Room". The Council’s current preferred option “following appropriate consultation, is to demolish the building.” A formal decision on demolition will be made at a later date, to allow for ‘consultation and further consideration of options’, including ‘new viable options for future service delivery’.
“We are deeply saddened that we can no longer welcome audiences to our home of 30 years at the Brunton Hall and we share the feeling of loss that is prevalent within the community at this time. The Brunton Hall was a vital community hub for East Lothian providing a space for arts, culture and community to come together, and where audiences were always warmly welcomed. However, the show must go on for the people of East Lothian and we are now calling for urgent support to make this happen. We also stand with the local community in asking East Lothian Council to rebuild a purpose built home that places arts and entertainment provision at the heart of the region as a priority.
In this challenging financial climate, decisions on the future of arts and entertainment across Scotland and East Lothian are critical for local communities. Theatre and cultural experiences make a significant economic, social and cultural contribution to the communities in which they are based. For decades, the Brunton Hall and the Brunton Theatre Trust have played a central role in East Lothian – making world-class arts, entertainment and creative learning accessible to all, boosting wellbeing, and attracting visitors who invest in local businesses nearby when they’re here.
The people and businesses of East Lothian need and deserve a thriving hub of culture and creativity to safeguard these benefits and ensure East Lothian Council’s vision of an ‘even more prosperous, safe and sustainable East Lothian’ is realised.
While the indefinite closure and possible demolition of the Brunton Hall are not the outcomes that we had hoped for, these decisions do finally give us greater clarity on the new approach we as a Trust now need to take to ensure that we can keep bringing world class live performances and educational experiences to East Lothian. We are now able to look at how we can work widely across the region, and develop and improve alternative spaces we will continue to use.
However, the indefinite closure of the Brunton Hall places us in a very difficult position. Due to lost income from the unexpected closure in 2023, a delay in the Council’s decision making and a 50% funding cut by the council this year, we have already had to use our carefully managed reserves to help keep the show on the road, with a jam-packed programme of events still taking place this autumn and winter at venues across East Lothian.
We urgently need funding from the Council, Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government, as well as support from our audiences, to ensure we can continue to deliver the same level of high-quality arts, culture and entertainment events and education projects throughout 2025 and beyond. This is vital to ensuring we still have an organisation ready to operate in new performance space the Council aims to build in the future.”
Michael Stitt
Chair of Brunton Theatre Trust
In spite of the first Brunton Hall closure in March 2023, The Brunton Theatre Trust has responsively adapted its programme to present events at Haddington Corn Exchange, Loretto Theatre and Northesk Church. This autumn season alone the Trust is hosting performances from the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Still Game comedians Mark Cox & Jane McCarry, soloist Timothy Orpen from the RSNO, comic play Hancock’s Half Hour, regular film screenings the much-loved Brunton pantomime A Christmas Carol, and more!
Brunton Theatre Trust is committed to continuing to support local amateur and community performance groups such as Alpha Dance, ArtsEast Dance, HB Arts and Musselburgh Amateur Musical Association, by helping them find alternative spaces for their performances and providing professional technical, front of house and box office services. The Trust has maintained its commitment to these organisations since moving out of the Brunton Hall venues in March 2023 and urge local amateur and community groups to continue to work with the Trust in this way.
As it delivers a jam-packed autumn/winter programme of enthralling creative events and educational projects in its 30th anniversary year, the Trust is hoping funding and public support can help them develop a new approach to bringing live performances to audiences across the region.
To support The Brunton theatre, you can donate, buy tickets or become a Friend of The Brunton. More information here.
