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The Astoria Theatre on the Old Kent Road, in Bermondsey, London was built as a single screen Super Cinema with stage facilities and opened on the 10th of February 1930 with the films 'Innocents in Paris' and a Laural & Hardy short called 'Two Tars', and included a variety show on the stage with the Theatre's own orchestra.

The Theatre was built by Edward Albert Stone and was the second of four Astorias built by him for the independent film exhibitor, Arthur Segal. Following the building of the Astoria, Brixton Segal went on to build the Astoria, Old Kent Road, which has since been demolished; the Astoria in Streatham which is now an Odeon Cinema; and the Finsbury Park Astoria, which has since been converted into a church. Stone also built the former Astoria Theatre in Charing Cross Road and the Astoria, Brighton.

The Old Kent Road Astoria was built with an exterior of faced white stone and an auditorium on two levels, Stalls and one Circle, designed in the Art Deco style but was described as being in the 'Semi-Atmospheric' style, a feature present in the three other Segal Astorias, although this one was in fact the least 'Atmospheric of the group.

The Theatre had a fully equipped stage and fly tower, ten dressing rooms, a cafe for patrons, a Compton 3 Manual 12 Rank Theatre organ, and a projection box complete with four Simplex Projectors.

Above - The stage console of the Compton dual-console organ of the Astoria Cinema, Old Kent Road. A John D. Sharp Photograph - From the 21st Anniversary edition of 'Cinema Organ' December 1973.

The Astoria was very successful for most of its life as a Cinema. In 1930 it was taken over by Paramount Pictures Inc as were the others in the group, and then by the Odeon Theatres Chain in 1939, although the Theatre's name was not changed to Odeon as the others were.

Under the ownership of the Rank Organisation the Theatre was finally closed on the 29th of June 1968 with the Films 'The Further Perils of Laurel & Hardy' and 'Woman Times Seven.' Subsequently the building remained empty and unused until it was converted into a Skating Park called the 'Mad Dog Bowl' and Squash Courts in May 1978. This was later altered with the inclusion of a Gym and Sauna and renamed the Astoria Sports Centre but wasn't a success.

Sadly the Old Kent Road Astoria was demolished in October and November 1984 and a 'Magnet' DIY store was then built on the site.

There are some interesting photographs of the Old Kent Road Astoria, including demolition shots, here.