The facility is being lined up to reopen for regular events within months under a vision aimed at transforming it into one of Scotland’s leading indoor concert halls.

Work is already underway on the transformation of the venue which dates back to 1933, survived a bomb blast in the Second World War and was closed 30 years ago due to its declining condition.

The Leith Theatre Trust is now looking towards fundraising to bring the theatre back to its former glory.

The Scottish Government had pledged £190,000 to allow the building to be used for this year’s Edinburgh Festival, and the Trust has also applied for a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The City of Edinburgh Council has committed £1 million towards the project.

A spokeswoman for the Trust said: “We have appointed a design team to carry out a feasibility study for the complex.

“It will identify the costs for a short-term package of capital improvement works to bring the main auditorium back into regular use as a licensed venue for live music, performance and events, and for the long term re-purposing of the entire complex to a multi-space arts and community venue.”

Jack Hunter, chair of the Trust, added: “We’ve had a lot of interest from promoters recently. They all underline the fact that Edinburgh doesn’t have a medium-sized venue like this. We want to take the next year to gain experience from major events to keep the profile of Leith Theatre up.”