Inside the Old Lady of Leven Street, 100 feet above the ground, a grand painting awaits its revival
Fear not, as John Byrne’s iconic painting All The World’s A Stage is in safe hands. We have embarked upon expert conservation work to protect and restore the dome design as part of the ongoing King’s Theatre redevelopment project. Speaking to several key contributors about the process, we delve into the lasting impact of such a special piece of art.
The late John Byrne is embedded in the history of the King’s Theatre through his All The World’s A Stage mural. Painted on the dome inside the auditorium, John and his team, which included his daughter Celie Byrne, worked on the 78.5 square metre painting over a six-week period before the design was unveiled on 6 August 2013.
Celie joined us for the first dome conservation inspection in September 2024, offering her experience of working on this very special project with her father, and witnessing first-hand the dedication and expertise of the conservators at work.
Describing the experience, which was her first foray into large scale mural art, Celie says it was “a privilege to be one of the small team of ‘apprentices’ to the ‘master’ that is John Byrne”. She continues, “I loved every moment on site, up high on what seemed like our own island out at sea. I will always treasure that special time with my daddy.”
Since it was unveiling, the new dome has been admired by thousands of theatregoers (just like yourselves!) and quickly settled into its home at the King’s Theatre. Now, 12 years after completion, a team of specialist wall painting conservators are carrying out painstaking restoration work on the dome.
Operating from a platform 100 feet above the ground floor of the theatre, the conservation team has already applied Japanese tissue paper to patches of flaking paint as a temporary measure. On the process, Karen Dundas from Scottish Wall Paintings Conservators explains, it’s “extremely challenging, but worth the struggle to save this vibrant painting.” The conservators will begin a delicate process of reattaching the areas of flaked paint in order to restore this magnificent piece of public art to its full glory.
“The King’s Theatre redevelopment is as much about celebrating and preserving the theatre’s rich history, as it is about creating a modern, accessible venue for generations to come”, explains Capital Theatre’s Chief Executive, Fiona Gibson. “It has been such a joy to work with Scottish Wall Paintings Conservators to ensure that John Byrne’s glorious dome painting is looking its very best when the curtain rises in the King’s once more.”
Audiences will once again be able to look up and enjoy John’s magnificent All The World’s A Stage dome painting when the building reopens in spring 2026.
The conservation of the John Byrne mural has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Pilgrim Trust and The Idlewild Trust.
