The Brunton was the complete indoor and outdoor Fringe venue by the coast.

A spokesperson for the Brunton Theatre Trust said that the arts attraction worked hard to create a Covid-19-safe and welcoming venue, and was delighted to welcome audiences back to Venue 1 for live entertainment.

As part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, audiences visited The Brunton (Venue 191) and a few key outdoor locations to enjoy a programme that included theatre, music, classical music, pop-up opera and street hip hop.

Dougie MacLean gave a rousing opening concert – the first live music in Venue 1 since March 2020 – which filled The Brunton with song again.

Kris Drever (LAU), John McCusker and Roddy Woomble (Idlewild) celebrated the 10th anniversary of their classic Scottish folk album Before The Ruin with their first appearance together onstage since 2008.

The spokesperson said this “guaranteed a fantastic evening” which, for many, was their first concert in 18 months.

There was also outdoor theatre at Musselburgh Racecourse, Lewisvale Park and Fisherrow Links.

Audiences enjoyed the surroundings of Musselburgh racecourse for Shakespearian comedy from Illyria and swashbuckling tales of Treasure Island from Quantum Theatre.

Scottish Opera’s Pop-up Opera featured two of Gilbert & Sullivans’ best loved hits – HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance. This offered the drama and wonder of grand opera on a miniature scale.

Lewisvale Park, near the local allotments at Inveresk, was the perfect location for Allotment, performed by Nutshell Theatre – a play about the complex and quirky relationship of two sisters as they live out the seasons and play out their rivalries among the plants.

Brunton resident company Room 2 Manoeuvre performed pop-up hip hop dance events across Musselburgh before coming together for a finale at Fisherrow Links.

The spokesperson said: “We were absolutely delighted to re-open our doors and bring live, physically distanced entertainment back to our audiences in East Lothian and beyond as we celebrated being part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival once again.

“Offering music and theatre in the sunshine at our outdoor venues was a tonic and also the perfect way to say ‘welcome back’.

“Going forward, The Brunton has put measures in place, following Scottish Government guidelines, to enable full capacity audiences to enjoy a varied programme of events to entertain this autumn and we cannot wait to see you there.

“Full details are available on the brunton.co.uk”

Donations of any size are “invaluable” to support The Brunton and can be made at thebrunton.co.uk