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The Astoria Theatre on Charing Cross Road, London was built by Edward Albert Stone, who also built the Astorias in Brixton, Streatham, Finsbury Park, Old Kent Road, and the Astoria, Brighton, and was a conversion from a former Crosse & Blackwell pickle warehouse in 1927 for Berkeley Syndicates Ltd. The pickle warehouse, situated next to its own factory, was built in 1893, not long after Charing Cross Road had been built, and was designed by the architect Robert Lewis Roumieu. This Street had originally been known as Hog Lane, and then later Crown Street, before finally being named Charing Cross Road.

Right - The Astoria Theatre just prior to demolition, in January 2009 - ML

When Berkeley Syndicates Ltd converted the warehouse into the Astoria Cinema and Dance Hall, only the brick shell of the pickle warehouse was retained. The contractors for the conversion were Griggs and Son Limited.

Left - A Programme for the film 'Alf's Button' shown at the Astoria Theatre on March the 24th 1930, just a few years after the Theatre Opened.

It is sometimes stated that Frank Verity may have built the Astoria but although he was the Chief Architect for Paramount Cinemas who eventually owned all five of the London Astorias, Paramount did not take over until 1931, which was after they were all built.

The Astoria Theatre opened on the 12th of January 1927 with the film 'Triumph of the Rat' which starred Ivor Novello, and was designed by the architect Edward Albert Stone principally as a Cinema but it also had a large Ballroom fitted into the basement.

Right - A Thumbnail image of the Astoria Theatre in 1930 - Click to see the original.

The Ballroom was octagonal in shape and had a central dance floor surrounded by a higher gallery and could accommodate a thousand people. This would later be transformed into a nightclub called 'Bang' in the 1980s and later still become known as Astoria 2.

This prominent Theatre, forming part of a block on the corner of Charing Cross Road and Oxford Street, had a Facade to Charing Cross Road designed in the Italian Renaissance style and faced with cement which concealed five storeys within.

Left - A Thumbnail of the Astoria Theatre auditorium in 1927 - Click to see the original.

Right - The Astoria Theatre just prior to demolition, in January 2009 - ML

The large auditorium consisted of Stalls and one Circle with twenty five rows of seats in the Stalls and twenty one rows in the Circle altogether capable of seating some 2,000 people in comfort.

Left - A Thumbnail of the Astoria Theatre auditorium and stage in 1927 - Click to see the original.

The auditorium was in the Pompeiian style with a semi-domed ceiling decorated with grotesques, and framed by a wide arched band of coffers. The Proscenium was flanked by Doric columns and a grille on each side which concealed the Theatre's organ.

The Theatre had only been running for a year when it was taken over in March 1928 by the General Theatres Corporation under the control of the production company Gaumont. The Times reported the sale in their 18th of January 1928 editions saying:

THEATRE SALES.
BIG PRICE FOR A CINEMA.

'It was announced yesterday by Messrs. Norfolk and Prior that the Astoria Picture Theatre, in Charing Cross-road, had been sold for over £250,000 to a British corporation with which Sir Walter Gibbons is associated.

The Astoria has been open for almost exactly a year, the anniversary having been celebrated by a special performance last Friday. In addition, it is understood that 15 theatres, including the Palladium, the Holborn Empire, and houses at Brighton, Penge, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Southend, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Sheffield, Boscombe, Leeds, and Paris, have been negotiated for by the same firm, though-in some cases the contracts have not yet been signed. A large offer has also been made for the Palace Theatre, and this is to be considered by the directors.

Nine London theatres - the Rivoli at Whitechapel, the Mile End Empire Cinema Theatre, the Woolwich Hippodrome, the New Cross Empire, the Kennington Theatre, the Kilburn Empire, the Camden Hippodrome, the Shakespeare Cinema Theatre at Clapham, and the Old Kent-road Picture House have recently been sold to Mr. L W. Schlesinger, a South African.'

The above text in quotes is from the Times, 18th of January 1928 - Courtesy BF.

Right - Programme detail with information for the film 'Sporting Life' shown at the Astoria Theatre March 30th 1930, just a few years after the Theatre Opened.

Ten years later in 1938 the Astoria was in use as a Second Run House with weekly changes of programme.

In 1948 the Rank Organisation took over the building and began to show 'First Run Features' and in 1957 on the 2nd of July the Astoria was used for the premiere of the Michael Todd film 'Around the World in 80 Days'. This was filmed using a new process called 'Todd-AO' and boasted a very Wide Screen. Not overly successful this process was only ever used to make sixteen films, but as an innovation it was deemed very successful and these sixteen films went on to win eighteen Academy Awards. In order to equip the Astoria for Todd-AO it had curtains installed over the proscenium to hide the side grilles and the proscenium itself. At the same time the seating of the Theatre was reduced from its original 2,000 to a smaller 1,357, and a new curved screen and 70mm projector were installed.

The Astoria's second major event was on the 24th of March 1964 when it hosted the world premier of 'The Fall of the Roman Empire.'

The Film starred Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Christopher Plummer, and and Alec Guiness.

Left - A newspaper advertisement for 'The Fall of the Roman Empire' which premiered at the Astoria, Charing Cross Road on the 24th of March 1964 - Courtesy Richard Carr.

For the presentation of the film the Theatre was redecorated in the Roman Style and a classical design of wallpaper was hung in the circle lounge with Roman trimmings erected in the foyer.

On the 2nd of October 1968 the Astoria was closed for major refurbishment by the then owners, The Rank Organisation. Sadly they set about gutting the auditorium, and stripped out most of the plasterwork, removed the inner columns from the proscenium, and removed the domed ceiling, fitting a suspended plaster ceiling hung from the roof instead.

Left - The Dock Doors of the Astoria Theatre in January 2009, these permitted access for scenery to the stage - Photo M.L.

Right - Programme detail for the film 'Alf's Button' shown at the Astoria Theatre March 24th 1930, just a few years after the Theatre Opened.

Part of the front of the balcony was also removed at this time to enable a better throw from the projection box, and the original 'Chocolate Store' was replaced by a modern Kiosk. The first feature to be presented in the newly fitted out Astoria was 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' which opened on the 17th of December 1968.

On the 28th of February 1976 Rank closed the Astoria and as it turned out this was to be the last time the building would be used as a Cinema. Later that year the building was radically altered for its conversion to a Live Theatre, ironically at the same time that the former Carlton Theatre on the Haymarket was being destroyed by converting it into a Cinema.

Right - The auditorium and stage of the Astoria Theatre in its live theatre incarnation - From 'Sightline' 1978.

In order for the Astoria to work as a Live Theatre the Stalls were raised by five feet and lighting positions were fitted on either side of the stage to give a frame to the stage since the proscenium was no longer there, having been removed in 1968. The walls of the auditorium and seating were redone in so called 'Hot Buff'.'

The first production at the new Astoria Theatre was 'Elvis the Musical' with P.J. Proby and Shakin Stevens in the cast which opened on the 28th of November 1977 and went on to win the Evening Standard's 'Musical of the Year Award' in 1978.

Right - A Thumbnail of the Astoria Theatre during the run of 'Elvis' in 1978 - Click to see the original.

Left - A Programme for 'Elvis' at the Astoria Theatre in 1978.

However, Elvis was not very successful and was soon to be replaced by the equally unsuccessful 'Beatlemania.'

Sadly the Theatre's venture as a live theatre came to nothing and in 1979 the Theatre closed and remained so until it was reincarnated as a theatre restaurant which opened on the 15th of June 1982 with a show called "Wild, Wild Women."

The refurbishment for this venture was carried out by the architects Dowton & Hurst in 1981 who enlarged the steps of the balcony to create wider and deeper tiers to enable seating and tables to be added to accommodate approximately 400 people. A retractable cinema screen was also fitted in order that films could be screened before shows.

Right - A Programme for 'Lennon' at the Astoria Theatre in 1985.

However, this also proved to be failure. The Theatre was soon 'dark' again until in 1984 the Howard Goodall musical 'The Hired Man' was produced there by Andrew Lloyd Webber. But this only ran for 164 performances, a total of 5 months, and again the Theatre was closed down. The following year a show called 'Lennon' was tried but this too failed to enthrall anyone and this proved to be the end for the Astoria in this incarnation.

The Astoria was then converted into a Live Music Venue by removing the seats in the stalls, converting the stage into a dance floor, adding a bar to the rear stalls, and converting the circle to nightclub style seating with tables and more bars. Around this time the former Ballroom in the basement of the Theatre was converted into a gay nightclub called 'Bang.'

Right - The Astoria 2 in January 2009, a nightclub which was originally a Ballroom situated in the basement of the Astoria Theatre. - Photo M.L 09.

The Astoria has been staging live music concerts and been home to the nightclub 'GAY' at weekends ever since but has become very run down over the years. Despite a coat of paint to the exterior in 2007 the Theatre has been in serious decline for years despite its success as a music venue and its hordes of loyal fans. The final blow came in 2008 with the news that the Astoria Theatre was soon to be demolished.

A Compulsory Purchase Order was served on the building, and all the other properties on this prominent corner block on Charing Cross Road and Oxford Street, on the 17th of October 2008 in order that they could all be demolished so that construction work could be started on a new crossrail station for Tottenham Court Road.

The Astoria Theatre closed for good after a final farewell concert called the 'Demolition Ball' on Wednesday the 14th of January 2009.

The old Ballroom in the basement, which had long been used as a nightclub, closed the following night.

Preparatory work began the following week for the Theatre's demolition.

Left - The main entrance doors to the Astoria Theatre are closed for good in January 2009, just prior to the Theatre's demolition. M.L.

Westminster Council have proposed that a new Theatre will be built as a replacement to the Astoria Theatre but only time will tell if it actually happens, and indeed if it's a suitable replacement for this historic and much loved building.

Above - Scaffolding begins to rise around the Astoria Theatre prior to demolition in March 2009

Above - The Astoria Theatre shrouded in scaffolding during the Theatre's demolition on the 16th of June 2009

Above - The Astoria Theatre almost completely demolished in October 2009 - photo M.L.

Much of the information on the Astoria Theatre on this page was very kindly sent in, after much careful research, by Andrea Beeson. Most of the photographs on this page were taken by myself in 2006 to 2009. The Thumbnail images were resized from images held on the photo sharing website Flickr and then linked to their own pages. It is hoped that these images will be of interest to visitors of this page and help to collate archive material but if you have an issue with this please Contact me.

If you have any more photographs for the Astoria Theatre that you think would enhance this page, or you are working on the demolition of the Theatre and have internal photographs you are able to share, please Contact me.