Early years across Edinburgh stages
The company's formative decades moved from the Operetta House to the Theatre Royal and then the Lyceum, building a repertoire rooted in operetta and light opera.
Our History
More than a century of Southern Light productions, gathered into one archive.
From the Operetta House to the King's, with every era leaving its mark.
The first five Southern Light shows were presented in the long-since demolished Operetta House in Chambers Street. The company's only visit to the Theatre Royal followed in 1901, after which a move was made to the Lyceum, where we played until 1924. Since then, our home has been the King's Theatre: a connection rarely broken, with the return to the Lyceum in 2012, and our 2021-2026 performances in the Festival Theatre during the King's refurbishment. Two productions were also presented in the Braidburn Open Air Theatre in June 1946 and June 1947.
Reviews and photographs of many recent productions are available on our website, and this archive provides the foundation for connecting every show to that wider record over time.
1897
First production: HMS Pinafore
125
Productions listed from 1897-2026
14
Decades of theatre history to browse
A long home at the King's Theatre
From 1925 onward, the King's became Southern Light's natural home, with only a handful of special returns to other venues across the decades.
From operetta heritage to modern musical theatre
The list shows the breadth of Southern Light's programming, carrying the company from classic titles like The Merry Widow and Rose Marie to Titanic, The Music Man and Guys and Dolls.
Archive
Our Productions
1900
The Pirates of Penzance
1901
The Mikado / The Gondoliers
1902
Iolanthe / Patience
1903
The Rose of Persia / The Yeoman of The Guard*
1904
Utopia Ltd / The Gondoliers
1905
Trial by Jury & The Pirates of Penzance / The Grand Duke
1906
Merrie England / The Mikado
1907
The Emerald Isle / Princess Ida
1908
Dorothy / The Gondoliers
1909
The Rose of Persia / The Yeoman of The Guard
Premiere Notes
* European Amateur premiere
** UK Amateur premiere
*** Scottish premiere