Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

Last updated
Regent Theatre
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent.jpg
The main entrance
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
AddressPicadilly
Stoke-on-Trent
England
Owner Ambassador Theatre Group
TypeTheatre
Capacity 1,600 [1]
Opened1929 (as Super Cinema), 1999 (as the Regent Theatre)
Website
Official Website

The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Constructed in 1929 as a cinema, it is one of several theatres in the city centre and one of two operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The building was converted for full-time use as a theatre in 1999, and since then has hosted a number of shows and musicals. The theatre is also the northern base for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera.

Contents

History

20th Century

The building was originally opened as a cinema, [2] having been commissioned by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres. The Regent was one of a number of "Regents" built across the country by the company, including one in Bournemouth, Brighton and Bristol. [3] The building was designed by William E. Trent and opened in 1929 by the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, William Leason. The building was not only designed for cinema use, but for cine-variety with the stage being used in its early years to host stage performances in-between films. [3] A Wurtlizer organ was also installed.

In 1950, The Regent, by this point owned by Gaumont British, was renamed The Gaumont and began to host local amateur dramatic performances following the closure of the nearby Theatre Royal. The Gaumont also hosted live concerts, including performances by Shirley Bassey, Cliff Richard, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles. [3] The building was converted into a three screen cinema and renamed The Gaumont Film Centre in 1974, before being taken over by Odeon in 1976. [3] The success of the venue in the eighties led to the construction of a new eight screen Odeon multiplex in 1989, with the old building closing.

Renovation and 21st Century

By the late 1990s, the building's condition had deteriorated and the interior dome had suffered from extensive water damage. The 'Regent Theatre Trust' was set up to manage the renovation and restoration of the building by a small grouped headed by Richard Talbot, before the council took over the redevelopment as part of its Cultural Quarter scheme. The original stage house and part of the auditorium were demolished, and a new stage, backstage facilities and orchestra pit built. The auditorium was restored, with a new proscenium arch constructed, alongside new front-of-house facilities and full disabled access. Following a three-year, £23 million development, The Regent held a preopening concert performed by The Porthill Players, a local amateur dramatic society and it was then officially reopened on 22 September 1999 with a performance of the national tour of Annie. Elizabeth II officially opened The Regent Theatre in October 1999. [3]

Since reopening in 1999, the theatre has presented numerous national tours: Thoroughly Modern Millie , Cats , Starlight Express , 42nd Street and The Woman in Black . The theatre also hosts an annual pantomime, frequently starring local celebrity Jonathan Wilkes. [3]

Architecture

The theatre is built in the Art Deco style. Its frontage is clad in white glazed terracotta, featuring mask representations of comedy and tragedy in each corner. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odeon Luxe Leicester Square</span> Cinema in London, England

The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square is a prominent cinema building in the West End of London. Built in the Art Deco style and completed in 1937, the building has been continually altered in response to developments in cinema technology, and was the first Dolby Cinema in the United Kingdom.

Gaumont may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent</span> Concert hall in Stoke-on-Trent, England

For other theatres with a similar name, see Victoria Theatre (disambiguation)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buxton Opera House</span> Opera house in Buxton, England

Buxton Opera House is in The Square, Buxton, Derbyshire, England. It is a 902-seat opera house that hosts the annual Buxton Festival and the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, among others, as well as pantomime at Christmas, musicals and other entertainments year-round. Hosting live performances until 1927, the theatre then was used mostly as a cinema until 1976. In 1979, it was refurbished and reopened as a venue for live performance.

Odeon Cinemas Limited, trading as Odeon, is a cinema brand name operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway, which along with UCI Cinemas and Nordic Cinema Group is part of the Odeon Cinemas Group subsidiary of AMC Theatres. It uses the famous name of the Odeon cinema circuit first introduced in Great Britain in 1930. As of 2016, Odeon is the largest cinema chain in the United Kingdom by market share.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Theatre, Leeds</span> Theatre in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

The Grand Theatre, also known as Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, is a theatre and opera house in Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It seats approximately 1,500 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayflower Theatre</span>

Mayflower Theatre is a Grade II listed theatre in the city centre of Southampton, England, with a capacity of 2,300. It features West End theatre shows when they tour the United Kingdom. In addition to this, one-off comedy shows and music events often take place at the theatre too.

The New Vic Theatre is a purpose-built theatre in the round in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. The theatre opened in 1986, replacing a converted cinema, the Victoria Theatre in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regent Theatre, Ipswich</span> Theatre and concert venue in Ipswich, England

Ipswich Regent Theatre is a theatre and concert venue located at St Helen's Street in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The auditorium was refurbished in 2007 and now holds 1,551 people, having reduced the capacity by 150 to accommodate larger and more comfortable seating. It is East Anglia's largest theatre. It has also been known as the Gaumont Theatre. It was designated as a Grade II Listed Building in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atmospheric theatre</span> Type of movie theater

An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, architectural elements and ornamentation that evoked a sense of being outdoors. This was intended to make the patron a more active participant in the setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo Victoria Theatre</span> Theatre in London, England

The Apollo Victoria Theatre is a West End theatre on Wilton Road in the Westminster district of London, across from London Victoria Station. Opened in 1930 as a cinema and variety theatre, the Apollo Victoria became a venue for musical theatre, beginning with The Sound of Music in 1981, and including the long-running Starlight Express, from 1984 to 2002. The theatre is currently the home of the musical Wicked, which has played at the venue since 27 September 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Opera House</span> Theatre and opera house in St Helier, Jersey

The Jersey Opera House is a working theatre and opera house in La Vingtaine de la Ville, Saint Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. The theatre building is administered by the States of Jersey but is managed by Jersey Opera House Limited. The current interim theatre director is Andy Eagle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaza Cinema, Weston-super-Mare</span>

The Plaza Cinema is an art deco cinema in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, owned by Merlin Cinemas. It was built by Odeon Cinemas and known as the Odeon Weston-super-Mare until 2023. It was designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt and is a Grade II listed building.

Aberdeen has been the host of several theatres and concert halls through history. Some of them have been converted or destroyed over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Stanley Coombe Beard</span> English architect

John Stanley Coombe Beard FRIBA, known professionally as J. Stanley Beard, was an English architect known for designing many cinemas in and around London.

Bradford Odeon is the name applied to two different cinemas in central Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. One, in Godwin Street, was built in 1930 and survives; the other, in Manchester Road, was built in 1938 and demolished in 1969.

The Theatre Royal, Hanley was a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, England with a long history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy Cinema, Chadwell Heath</span>

The Embassy Cinema is a former cinema in the town of Chadwell Heath, Greater London. It was once known, among locals, as The Gaumont. It was designed in an art deco style, with a streamline moderne interior, by Harry Weston in 1934. The building is situated on the border of Redbridge and Barking & Dagenham, in the Chadwell Heath District Centre. The cinema closed in 1966 and became a Bingo Hall. In 2015, following the closure of the Bingo Hall, it was then used as a wedding hall/banqueting suite. The building was listed as an Asset of Community Value by the 'Chadwell Heath South Residents' Association' in August 2017 and is currently the focus of a major cinema restoration project.

The Empire Theatre was a theatre in Longton in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It was later a cinema and a bingo hall; it was destroyed by fire in 1992.

The Gordon Theatre was a theatre in Stoke-upon-Trent, in Staffordshire, England. It was subsequently the Hippodrome Theatre, and the Gaumont Cinema.

References

  1. "The Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall". The Staffordshire Stoke on Trent Conference Bureau. n.d. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  2. "Victoria Hall". Ambassador Theatre Group. n.d. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Neale, William (2011) [2010]. Old Theatres in the Potteries (2nd ed.). William A. Neale. pp. 105–111. ISBN   9781446638460.

53°01′28″N2°10′35″W / 53.0244°N 2.1765°W / 53.0244; -2.1765