Palace Theatre, Swansea

Last updated

The Palace Theatre
The Pavilion
The Empire
The Palace 3.jpg
Palace Theatre, Swansea
Address156 High Street
Swansea
Wales
SA1 1AE
Coordinates 51°37′39.00″N3°56′28.00″W / 51.6275000°N 3.9411111°W / 51.6275000; -3.9411111
Owner Swansea Council
Designation Grade II listed
Capacity 600+
Current useDisused
Construction
Opened1888
Closed2006
ArchitectBucknall & Jennings
Website
http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/how-we-help/theatres-at-risk/223-swansea-palace

The Palace Theatre is a Grade II listed building [1] [2] in Swansea, Wales, located at the northern end of High Street and recognisable for its distinctive wedge shape. It is Wales' oldest surviving theatre. [3]

Contents

History

Originally built in 1888 as a traditional music hall, the building was known as The Pavilion from 1883 to 1892, The Empire from 1892 to 1900, and then as The Palace in 1900 after a takeover by William Coutts, who also operated the city's Shaftesbury Hall, which was known as Swansea's "home of dancing" at the time. [4] From 1912 it was known as the People's Bioscope Palace, bioscope being an early term for moving picture technology.

In the early years of the 20th century, stars such as Lilly Langtry, Marie Lloyd and Dan Leno filled the venue. [4] Charlie Chaplin performed at the palace when he was 10 years old in 1899. In the 1920s and 30s the venue started holding live theatre events, [4] before shifting into film from the 1930s to 1950s. [4]

The building is one of just two purpose-built music halls left standing in the whole of the UK, [5] and was the first place in Wales to show a silent picture. It remained undamaged by the blitz that destroyed much of Swansea city centre during the Second World War. Sir Anthony Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance there in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of Have A Cigarette. [6]

The venue later operated as a bingo hall, and as a private gay club. [4] The ground-floor bar and lounge was also used as a licensed pub for many years, before closing in 2006. Eventually the theatre was sold for £300,000 to a property company, but in 2010 it was still derelict and actor Edward Fox joined a campaign to have it restored. [7]

New campaign

In October 2013 the BBC reported on issues with the building. The Theatres Trust warned that the building "may fall down" if it did not receive any investment, [8] Swansea Council cabinet member for regeneration Nick Bradley told the BBC that renovation would be very expensive, and as a result any Council or Government intervention was unlikely. [8] He warned that regarding costs of redevelopment, "£1m wouldn't even touch it." [8]

In 2014, a new campaign for redevelopment of the site was launched on Facebook. [9]

High Street in 1915 High Street Swansea the palace.png
High Street in 1915

In April 2014 Swansea Council made £75,000 available to the owners to carry out work on the High Street theatre, [10] which had been named as one of the 10 most endangered Victorian and Edwardian buildings in England and Wales. The Victorian Society called it "a victim of urban decay". The council funds were earmarked for "emergency works", including making the building watertight, removing vegetation and removing loose brickwork that could be deemed "unsafe". By September 2014 the council issued a reminder to the owners that the work needed to be completed promptly. [11]

In 2018 the derelict theatre was identified as having become "at the hub of the city's street sex trade", after residents of High Street complained that they were no longer able to walk past the building in safety. [12]

The Theatre as of April 2020 High Street Palace theatre.jpg
The Theatre as of April 2020

In July 2019 the future of the theatre was discussed as part of a public "Emergency Summit", organised by Swansea Council, South Wales Police, Geraint Davies MP, and voluntary sector organisations. The summit was prompted by a spate of incidents in the city including an assault on 20 July on High Street which saw the death of a 54-year-old man. [13] Swansea Council stated that it was yet to secure a development partner for the then privately owned Theatre. [14] According to the Theatres Trust it remained "in a poor state of repair and extremely vulnerable", although developments "provided hope that a viable solution, which includes community use and preserves the main body of the auditorium, could be found". [3]

In September 2019 the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called out to the theatre amid reports of smoke coming from the ground and fourth-floor windows of the building. [3] Responders dealt with a fire, but did not initially comment on whether the incident was suspicious. [15] In late 2019 and early 2020 a plan emerged to save the former theatre, which would see it transformed into offices with community and performance space provided. [16] As of 2022, the building is still undergoing restoration under this plan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swansea</span> City and county in Wales

Swansea is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Palace</span> Listed entertainment and sports venue in London

Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Originally built by John Johnson and Alfred Meeson, it opened in 1873 but following a fire two weeks after its opening, was rebuilt by Johnson. Intended as "The People's Palace" and often referred to as "Ally Pally", its purpose was to serve as a public centre of recreation, education and entertainment; North London's counterpart to the Crystal Palace in South London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Bay</span> Area and lake in Cardiff, Wales

Cardiff Bay is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it is the river mouth of the River Taff and Ely. The body of water was converted into a 500-acre (2.0 km2) lake as part of a UK Government redevelopment project, involving the damming of the rivers by the Cardiff Bay Barrage in 1999. The barrage impounds the rivers from the Severn Estuary, providing flood defence and the creation of a permanent non-tidal high water lake with limited access to the sea, serving as a core feature of the redevelopment of the area in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandrindod Wells</span> Town in Powys, Wales

Llandrindod Wells is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It serves as the seat of Powys County Council, and is therefore the administrative centre of Powys. The town was historically in Radnorshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow)</span>

The Pavilion Theatre is a theatre in Glasgow located on Renfield Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shepherd's Bush Empire</span> Music venue in West London, England

Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally built in 1903 as a music hall for impresario Oswald Stoll, designed by theatre architect Frank Matcham; among its early performers was Charlie Chaplin. In 1953 it became the BBC Television Theatre. Since 1994, it has operated as a music venue. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Madoc</span> Welsh actress (1943–2022)

Ruth Madoc was a British actress who had a career on stage and screen spanning over 60 years. She was best known for her role as Gladys Pugh in the BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi! (1980–1988), for which she received a BAFTA TV award nomination for Best Light Entertainment Performance.

Swansea city centre in Swansea, Wales, contains the main shopping, leisure and nightlife district in Swansea. The city centre covers much of the Castle ward including the area around Oxford Street, Castle Square, and the Quadrant Shopping Centre; Alexandra Road, High Street, Wind Street and the Castle; Parc Tawe; and the Maritime Quarter extending down to the seafront.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Eisteddfod of Wales</span> Annual festival of Welsh-language culture

The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors typically number 6,000 or more, and overall attendance generally exceeds 100,000 visitors, the highest recently being 118,000 attending the 2022 festival. The 2018 Eisteddfod was held in Cardiff Bay with a fence-free 'Maes'. In 2020, the event was held virtually under the name AmGen; events were held over a one-week period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brangwyn Hall</span> Concert venue in Wales

The Brangwyn Hall is a concert venue in Swansea. It is named after the artist Frank Brangwyn, whose British Empire Panels, originally intended for the House of Lords, are displayed there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swansea Guildhall</span> Municipal Building in Swansea, Wales

The Guildhall is one of the main office buildings of the City and County of Swansea Council. The Guildhall complex, which includes the City Hall, Brangwyn Hall and the County Law Courts for Swansea, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patti Pavilion</span> Building in Swansea, Wales

The Patti Pavilion is a venue for the performing arts in Swansea, Wales, located at Victoria Park to the south west of Swansea City Centre. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes, musical shows and fairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground</span> Rugby and cricket ground in Swansea

St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground, commonly known simply as St Helens Ground, is a sports venue in Swansea, Wales, owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea Council. Used mainly for rugby union and cricket, it has been the home ground of Swansea RFC and Swansea Cricket Club since it opened in 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venue Cymru</span> Theatre in Llandudno, Wales

Venue Cymru is a theatre, conference centre and arena in Llandudno, Conwy County Borough, North Wales. Venue Cymru has a theatre, conference centre, and arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney Empire</span> Theatre on Mare Street in the London Borough of Hackney, London, England

Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in Hackney in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by The Guardian as "the most beautiful theatre in London" it is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olympia Theatre, Dublin</span> Concert hall and theatre in Dublin, Ireland

The Olympia Theatre, branded since 2021 for sponsorship purposes as the 3Olympia Theatre, is a concert hall and theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located on Dame Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig-y-Nos Castle</span> Castle in the Swansea Valley, Powys, Wales

Craig-y-nos Castle, is a Scots baronial-style country house near Glyntawe in Powys, Wales. Built on parkland beside the River Tawe in the upper Swansea Valley, it is located on the southeastern edge of the Black Mountain. The castle, formerly owned by opera singer Adelina Patti, is now a hotel. Its landscaped grounds are now a country park, managed by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. They are listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. The castle is a Grade II* listed building and its theatre has a separate Grade I listing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlesbrough Town Hall</span> Building in North Yorkshire, England

Middlesbrough Town Hall is a municipal facility located in Albert Road in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackwood Miners Welfare Institute</span> Miners welfare institute, now entertainment venue in Caerphilly, Wales

The Blackwood Miners Welfare Institute is an entertainment venue located at the north end of Blackwood High Street in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Wales and run by Caerphilly County Borough Council. Opened in 1925 as a miners' welfare institute, it originally was a single floor snooker hall but was expanded eleven years later. In the 1980s, the institute was the venue for some of the earliest performances by the Manic Street Preachers, a band formed in Blackwood in 1986. The hall was sold to Islwyn Borough Council in 1989 after falling into disrepair and was reopened as an entertainment venue in February 1992.

References

  1. ↑ "Listed Buildings in Swansea". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "Swansea Pavilion; Empire Music Hall; Palace Theatre, High Street, Swansea (31846)". Coflein. RCAHMW . Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Comerford, Ruth (10 September 2019). "Palace Theatre in Swansea hit by suspected arson attack". The Stage . Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Dalling, Robert (7 March 2019). "The 28 old cinemas that once thrilled the people of Swansea". WalesOnline. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  5. ↑ "Swansea Palace". Theatres Trust. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "Oldest theatre under hammer". BBC News. 26 November 2003. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. ↑ Turner, Robin (7 August 2010). "Edward Fox bid to save historic Palace where Charlie Chaplin played". WalesOnline. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 "Fear over historic theatre collapse". BBC News. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  9. ↑ Palace Theatre, Swansea on Facebook
  10. ↑ Williams, Nino (9 June 2020). "Hoardings go up as work to transform Swansea's Palace Theatre finally begins". WalesOnline. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "Funding offer to help owners save Palace Theatre in Swansea". South Wales Evening Post. 8 September 2014. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  12. ↑ Bellis, Katie (8 March 2018). "What it's like to live on Swansea's most notorious street". WalesOnline. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  13. ↑ Bellis, Katie (20 July 2019). "Man due in court after 54-year-old left critically ill in hospital". WalesOnline. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  14. ↑ Youle, Richard (31 July 2019). "'Emergency summit' to take place to sort out Swansea's High Street". WalesOnline. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  15. ↑ Williams, Kathryn (8 September 2019). "Live updates as Swansea's Palace Theatre is on fire". WalesOnline. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  16. ↑ Williams, Nino (18 November 2020). "The massive task ahead to refurbish Swansea's Palace Theatre". WalesOnline. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.