Sam Heughan: Outlander star thanks his fans for their efforts in saving Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre

The Scottish actor has said that ‘Xmas came early’ after fans launched a fundraising campaign in his name tosupport Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre as the pandemic continues to impact the arts.

‘Save A Seat For Sam This Christmas’ will allow people the opportunity to purchase a ticket for a “virtual seat” at the Edinburgh Lyceum for a Christmas performance on December 12.

The performance will showcase close friends and colleagues talking about their experiences and stories with the popular Scottish actor to raise money for the theatre during the pandemic.

The fundraiser, as reported by The Herald, was set up by two Heughan fans, Savannah Forge and Tash Pow, with the aim of saving a theatre close to the actor’s heart as lockdown threatens the industry.

Tickets are being marketed at around $25 per seat for US audiences - roughly £19 – and all profits will go towards the theatre.

The news comes after Heughan set up his own campaign called ‘Letters to Lyceum’ which gathered together audiences’ and artists’ lockdown stories.

The fans’ fundraiser has already received a lot of support online and Heughan has taken to Twitter to show his support saying it’s “wonderful” and “such a lovely idea.”

Co-founder Ms Forge said: "While this is ‘Save A Seat for Sam’ we are hopeful that others will donate to the cause too.

Sam Heughan thanks fans for their efforts in helping to save Edinburgh theatre (Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images).

"We see this as a way that anyone, and everyone, can support the Royal Lyceum Theatre at a time when they really need that support.”

For more information on the virtual festive Sam Heughan extravaganza, you can check out the event page here.

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