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Theatres in Brixton, London

Astoria / Brixton Academy - Empress Theatre - Brixton Theatre - Palladium Picture House / The Fridge - Electric Pavilion / Ritzy Cinema

Astoria Theatre, 211 Stockwell Road, London SW9

Later - The Brixton Academy / O2 Academy

Above - The Interior of the Astoria, Brixton - Photo by John D. Sharp - From 'Cinema Organ' 21st Anniversary edition, December 1973

The Brixton Astoria was built by T. R. Somerford and Edward Albert Stone as a Super Cinema with an exterior in the Italian Renaissance Style, and an auditorium decorated by Marc Henri in the 'Atmospheric' style. The Theatre was the first of four Astoria Theatres to be built in London 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.

On its opening on the 19th of August 1929, with the film' The Singing Fool' with Al Jolson, the Brixton Astoria seated 2,982 people in it's fantastic 'Atmospheric' auditorium. The Theatre had a fully equipped stage some 40 foot deep, a Compton 3 Manual / 12 Rank organ which was inaugurated by George Pattman, an unusually placed projection box, which was hung underneath the Circle, and a restaurant for use by the Theatre's patrons.

The Astoria was taken over by Paramount in December 1930, who would later go on to sell the building along with their other Cinemas, to Odeon in November 1939. Later still the name was changed to the Odeon Astoria, and whilst under the ownership of the Rank Organisation the Astoria was finally closed as a Cinema on the 29th of July 1972 with the films 'Red Sun' and 'The Looking Glass War.'

Subsequently the Theatre was converted into a nightclub called the Sundown Discotheque but this only lasted for 4 months and then it was proposed that the building be demolished. Thankfully this never happened and the Theatre was used instead as a Warehouse by the Rank Organisation for several years.

In 1974 the Theatre was Listed Grade II.

In 1982 the Theatre was re-launched as a Concert Venue called 'Fair Deal' and opened on the 12th of March with UB40, but this was unsuccessful and the operators went bankrupt. Fair Deal closed the following month.

The following year the Theatre was reopened as a Concert Venue again, this time called The Academy, on the 7th of October 1983 with the Japanese Group 'Eek - a - mouse.' In this guise the Brixton Academy has been very successful but over the years the Theatre suffered some damage to its spectacular auditorium, especially the plasterwork by Marc Henri.

In March 1990 the Theatre's Listed status was upgraded to Grade II*

In 2006, under the ownership of the Mobile Telephone Company O2 the building was substantially renovated in an attempt to restore the building to its former glory. The auditorium Stalls are now empty of their original seating and so the building has a huge capacity as a result, some 4,921 people can squeeze into the former Astoria Theatre on any given night.

You may like to visit the O2 Academy's own Website here.

If you have any more images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me.

Empress Theatre, Bernay's Grove, Brighton Terrace, Brixton
Also known as The Empress Theatre of Varieties / Empress Music Hall / Granada Cinema,

Above - The Housing Estate on Bernay's Grove, Brighton Terrace, Brixton which was built on the site of the former Empress Theatre / Granada Cinema in 1992 - M.L. 2008

The Empress Theatre opened on Boxing day 1898 and boasted a seating capacity of 1,260 and stage 60 foot wide by 40 deep.

Left - Variety programme for the Empress Theatre, Brixton for the week commencing 29th September 1930.

In 1931 the auditorium had an Art Deco remodeling and the exterior was modernised at the same time. The Theatre then continued as a Variety Theatre until the mid 1950s.

Right - Twice Nightly Variety programme for the Empress Theatre, Brixton for the week commencing October 17th 1955.

However, the popularity of Cinema and the demise, across the country, of Variety in the 50s, effected the Empress just like most Theatres and in 1957 the Theatre was converted for Cinema use and renamed the Granada Cinema.

By the 1970s Cinema was on the wane too, this time because of television, and the old Empress, now the Granada, was forced to have yet another change of use, this time to Bingo. Then the final insult for this once proud Theatre was when Bingo finished and the building was temporarily used as a furniture store.

The final demise of the building was in 1992 when it was demolished to make way for residential development.

For images of the Theatre in several of its guises see this site...

Arthur Lloyd is known to have performed at the Empress Theatre, Brixton 1900, 1901, 1902

Right - Seating Plan for the Empress Theatre, Brixton, from a Variety Programme for the week commencing 29th September 1930.

Alan Chudley writes on the Brixton Empress Theatre and the VTC circuit.

I knew the Brixton Empress in the mid-1940s, Together with the Metropolitan, The Palaces at Chelsea, East Ham and Walthamstow, this was all that remained of the VTC circuit; ( Variety Consolidated Theatres,) the South London Palace being lost during the war years. As I knew the Empress it had been largely rebuilt in 1931 in the sprit of an Art Deco cinema. There were two Large circles but no boxes. Unusually for a Variety Theatre, the Empress had counterweight flying, no doubt due to the fact that the, then, major supplier of such Systems; "Halls" was based in Brixton.

Sadly this counterweight flying caused the death of the Stage Manager who was using a counterweight bar to move some radiators under the stage; a stupid operation as the counterweight bar on return to the stage would be out of balance. The bar shot up towards the grid, the stage managers foot was caught in a chain attached thereto, he was taken upwards, hit his head on a gantry crossing the stage and fell over 20 feet to his death.

Left and Right - Variety Programme for the Empress Theatre, Brixton in February 1945 - Courtesy Alan Chudley.

With the coming of commercial television in 1955 VTC was taken over by Granada, who wanted the Chelsea Palace for use as a television Studio.

Above text courtesy - Alan Chudley.

Brixton Theatre, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton
Also known as The Brixton Theatre and Opera House / Melville Theatre

Above - Postcard showing the Brixton Theatre, Brixton

Brixton Theatre was built next door to the Tate Library in Brixton by the renowned Theatre Architect, Frank Matcham in 1896. Opening on the 21st of September that year with a production of 'The Sign of the Cross' with Wilson Barrett in the role of Marcus Superbus, the Theatre, with a capacity of 1,504, was home to plays, small touring productions, and Christmas Pantomimes. The auditorium was built on three levels, Stalls and Pit, Dress Circle, and Gallery, with several Boxes.

The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times on Saturday September the 19th, 1896 printed a review of the new Theatre saying:

'New Theatre at Brixton. -The popular South London suburb of Brixton has followed the example of' Camberwell and Stratford, and has now a fine playhouse of its own. The foundation-stone of which was laid by Sir Henry Irving more than two years ago. The main entrance is in the tower-like front, surmounted by a cupola, facing Brixton Oval, and adjoining the Tate Free Library. Two railway stations, Brixton and Loughborough Junction, are within a stone's throw, and there is a constant service of trams and busses to all parts from the theatre.

On account of the difficulties of the site which Mr. Frank Matcham, the architect, has had to encounter, the building is perhaps less impressive from without than from within, where everything is most artistic and comfortable. A spacious staircase leads to a semi-circular crush-room, and thence to the different parts of the house, which will accommodate fully two thousand people. The pit is said to be one of the finest yet devised - each row being higher than the one in front, giving every-one a complete view of the ample stage, which is cut off from the auditorium by a thick proscenium wall and a fireproof curtain that can be lowered in eight seconds.

The patrons of the gallery will have every reason to be satisfied with the accommodation there provided; and the glass and iron shelters will make things comfortable until the doors open. The electric lighting installation is very complete. Next Monday afternoon, Sept. 21, the theatre will open its doors with "The Sign of the Cross," in which Mr. Wilson Barrett will sustain the role of Marcus Superbus. Mr. Charles Rider Noble is the manager.'

Above text in quotes and image right from the Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times, Saturday September the 19th, 1896.

The Theatre was renamed the Melville Theatre in 1940 after Frederick Melville, who ran the Theatre from 1907 to 1934 and 1936 to 1938, but was destroyed shortly afterwards by a high explosive bomb on the 8th of November 1940 and subsequently demolished, but the Tate library next door survives to this day.

The Ritzy Cinema, which was also built next door to the Theatre, on the other side, in 1911, has occupied part of the site of the Brixton Theatre since the Cinema was enlarged in the 1990s.

Above - The Brixton Theatre and Tate Library - From a Postcard sent in 1907

Above - The site of the Brixton Theatre in 2008, 101 years after the postcard above. - Note that the Tate Library is still as it was when the Theatre was there and that the Ritzy Cinema, built in 1911 now occupies part of the site of the Theatre too - Photo M.L.

Palladium Picture House, Brixton Hill
Also known as the Palladium Cinema / Regal Cinema / ABC / Ace Cinema / The Fridge

Above - Real Photograph of the Palladium Picture Playhouse, Brixton with its original Baroque Frontage in 1914, just a year after it opened.

The Palladium on Brixton Hill, next door to the Brixton Town Hall, was built by Gilbert Booth and opened as the Palladium Picture Playhouse on the 20th of March 1913 with a capacity of around 1,200 people on two levels, Stalls and Balcony. The Cinema was renamed to the simpler 'Palladium Cinema' in 1929 when ABC bought the building. In 1956 the Cinema was renamed 'The Regal' when the building was reconstructed and sadly this included destroying the original facade in a program of modernisation, (See image below.)

Above - Real Photograph of the ABC Cinema, Brixton, formerly the Palladium Picture House, in the 1970s with a radically modernised Facade. The Cinema is advertising the film 'Dirty Harry.'

The Cinema was renamed 'ABC Brixton' on the 20th of October 1963 and then renamed again in October 1977 when an independent operator took over the building, this time to the 'Ace Cinema.'

Left - Detail from the Real Photograph, shown above, of the Palladium Picture Playhouse, Brixton with its original Baroque Frontage in 1914, just a year after it opened. The Cinema is advertising 'Ceasless Entertainment from 2 to 11pm Daily.

The Ace closed down on the 28th March 1981 and the building was then converted for Music and Concert performances, occasional Film showings, and for a while it was even used as a Roller Disco.

This eventually closed down too and subsequently a fire damaged part of the auditorium. However, the building was repaired and furthur converted, this time into a nightclub called 'The Fridge' which opened on the 8th of June 1985 and still remains as such today, although you would be hard pushed to recognise it as the building it once was.

Above - The Fridge Nightclub, Brixton Hill, formerly the ABC Cinema / Palladium Picture House, in 2008. Note that the Town Hall, next door, is still visible and unchanged despite all the changes to the Palladium - Photo M.L.

Above - The Brixton Palladium Picture Palace - From a period Postcard.

Ritzy Cinema, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton
Formerly The Electric Pavilion

Above - Brixton's Ritzy Cinema, formerly the Electric Pavilion, in 2008 - Photo M.L.

The Ritzy Cinema was built next door to the Brixton Theatre and originally opened as the Electric Pavilion in 1911. It was enlarged in the 1990s and now occupies part of the site of the Brixton Theatre next door.

The Ritzy Cinema holds the distinction of being the oldest Cinema in South London which is still in use today.