Landmark Edinburgh church put up for sale for £3m by ballet dancer
The church was once home to a production of Hamlet starring Sir Ian McKellen
A church-turned theatre in the heart of Edinburgh which was built by architect William Henry Playfair has gone on the market for £3 million.
The A-listed Saint Stephen's Church in the city’s Stockbridge district has gone up for sale today.
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
The church, which was built in 1828 and boasts two theatres, one named after actor Sir Ian, who performed a sell-out production of Hamlet at the venue in 2022.
It has been owned for the past nine years by Danish ballet dancer, director and choreographer Peter Schaufuss, who also previously ran the now-shuttered Rose Theatre on Rose Street.
Mr Schaufuss said he had become a “landlord by default” and wanted to hand over to a new “custodian” of the building, which, when a church, was attended by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson as a child.
Mr Schaufuss said: “When I first saw Saint Stephens in 2014, purchasing it in 2017, my vision was to create a world renowned arts venue.
“I am a creative person not a landlord - and that’s what I have become by default, so now it‘s time to hand it over to someone else to be custodian of this incredible building.”
Saint Stephens has hosted many Fringe performances, including the 2022 Hamlet production and a ballet of Romeo and Juliet starring Mr Schaufuss’ daughter, Tara Schaufuss, a leading dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, last year. She performed the role of Juliet, which was originally created for her grandmother, Mona Vangsaae in 1955, in the first dance production of the Shakespeare classic.
The 15,000 square foot property has many unusual architectural and historical features, including a 49m high clock tower which boasts the longest clock pendulum in Europe. Meanwhile, the Willis organ in Ashton Hall is regarded as one of the most outstanding examples of the work of Henry Willis, one of the UK’s most distinctive organ builders. In 1880, when it was built, Mr Willis was at the peak of his success having, in the previous decade, built organs at the Royal Albert Hall, London and St Paul’s Cathedral London.
However, the Saint Stephen’s organ, unlike its counterparts, has been entirely tonally and technically unaltered.
Since 2017, Saint Stephen’s has undergone continuous renovation between presentations to improve and upgrade the facilities. It offers flexible performing, cultural, and commercial spaces within one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious districts.
It was previously owned by Leslie Benzies, president of Grand Theft Auto maker Rockstar North, who bought it in 2014 to preserve the building for community use.
Multi-let investment for the building generates a total income of approximately £175,000 per annum from long and short-term occupiers.
Estate agent Culverwell is seeking offers for the building of more than £3m.
The former Rose Theatre, which was also owned by Mr Schaufuss, will be converted into a 43-bedroom hotel with rooftop bar. Plans were approved after an original bid was rejected as “cultural vandalism” in November. ANTA Design re-submitted their application on behalf of Morningbridge Ltd.