Theatres, Halls, and Cinemas in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

Royal Aquarium - Windmill Theatre - Gem Electric Vaudeville - Theatre Royal - Regal / ABC / Canon Cinema - Hippodrome - Regent Theatre / Stars - Regent Hall - Empire Theatre - Britannia Pier Theatre / Pavilion Theatre - Arthur Lloyd in Yarmouth

See also in this area - The Gorleston Pavilion

The Windmill Theatre, Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth

Formerly - The Gem Electric Vaudeville - The Gem Cinema - The Gem Palace

Above - The Windmill Theatre, Great Yarmouth in 2009 - Courtesy Paul Willetts

The Windmill Theatre in Great Yarmouth is today one of Britain's earliest surviving Cine Variety buildings. Situated on Marine Parade the building was originally planned to be called the Marine Hall by its owners C. B. Cochran and Frank Bostock, who was associated with Bostock and Wombwell's well known travelling menageries. They were thought to be planning to use the building for their wild animal shows but this caused much opposition in the town so Bostock and Cochran changed their plans shortly before opening to use the building for the showing of early moving pictures as the Gem Electric Vaudeville instead.

Right - The Gem Electric Vaudeville when it first opened in 1908 - With the Kind Permission of Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That’s Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The Gem was designed by local architect Arthur S. Hewitt, who would go on to design the Empire Theatre in the town a few years later, and constructed by J. D. Harman of Northgate Street. The Gem opened on the 4th of July 1908 under the lessees the Yarmouth Amusement Centre Ltd., whose registered office was in London, showing continuous 'Electric Vaudeville' all day long from 11am to 11pm at prices of 2, 4, and 6 pence per person, with shows lasting around an hour each. Notices outside the building read 'come in when you like, stay as long as you like'. The films were accompanied by a young lady at the piano, interspersed with songs from a lady vocalist, and occasional gramophone records, and three bioscope operators and three pianists were employed to be able to cope with the twelve hour long continuous programming.

The Gem's interior was a simple hall 160 feet long by 40 feet wide with no stage and the cinema screen fixed to the back wall. There was no balcony and seating was on simple wooden chairs for around 700 people. Local by-laws prevented men and women sitting together under the proviso that it was immoral for men and women to sit together in a darkened hall so men sat on one side of the central isle, and women on the other.

Left - The Interior of the Gem Electric Vaudeville in 1909 - With the Kind Permission of Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That’s Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The exterior of the building was in the renaissance style and included two towers, one on either side of the entrance, and was decorated with over a thousand electric lamps which outlined the building and earned it the popular name of the 'Palace of Light'.

Charles B. Cochran, the man who coined the words 'Electric Vaudeville' to describe the type of entertainment he presented was in charge at the opening but would leave the following year and went on to be an extremely successful impresario throughout the Country over the ensuing years.

Right - The Gem Electric Vaudeville at night with its one thousand electric lamps lighting up the exterior - With the Kind Permission of Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That’s Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

After the first summer season the opening times for the Gem were reduced to two shows a night, one at 6.30pm and the second at 8.45, with matinees on Thursday and Saturday at 3pm. Sunday shows were from 6pm.

In 1909 E. V. Barr, a local businessman, took over the lease and at first ran the Gem on the same kind of schedule but the following year, in 1910, he closed it down for six weeks for major alterations which included covering up the roof's iron girders with a false ceiling and installing a full sized stage, and a balcony with 200 extra seats, and the stalls seats were replaced with modern tip-up chairs. Reopening it as the Gem Palace E. V. Barr introduced, along with the films, live variety shows on its new stage.

In 1930 a British Thompson-Houston sound system was installed so that the Gem Palace could show the latest 'Talkie' films along with the variety shows, with admission prices now from 7 pence to 1 shilling and 6 pence. By the end of the 1930s the building was being run by Jay's Entertainment but it was requisitioned by the military in 1939 for the war effort like so many other entertainment buildings around the Country.

When it finally reopened after the war in 1946 it was renamed the Windmill Theatre and was soon providing the number two variety bills and popular summer shows in Great Yarmouth, a policy which continued well into the 1960s.

After this it was still used for theatre shows well into into the early 1980s but eventually the building went over to use as a children's play area, and later became known as the Odditorium which was an exhibition of weird and wonderful things similar to 'Ripley's Believe it or Not' exhibitions, although there was now a Cinema in the upper part of the building.

Left - The Windmill Theatre, Great Yarmouth in 2007 - Courtesy Charles Bowman.

Despite the name change to the Gem just before opening in 1908, the words Marine Hall were still visible in the mosaic work on the pavement outside the building even as late as the 1970s, and the letters MH were apparently still to be seen until quite recently on a small tile set in the pavement at the rear of the building, in Wellington Road.

Currently the Theatre is in use as an Amusement Arcade and miniature Golf Course, and although the building is Grade II* Listed much of its internal decoration is hidden by false walls and hangings.

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the former Windmill Theatre, Great Yarmouth in August 2022 - Click to Interact.

For some internal photos of parts of the auditorium today see here, here, here, here, and here.

Some of the later information for this Theatre was gleaned from the excellent Cinema Treasures Website and much of the early information and early images were kindly sent in by Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That’s Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

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

The Regent Theatre, 85-87 Regent Road, Great Yarmouth

Formerly - The Regent Variety and Picture Theatre - Later - Top Rank Bingo / Mecca Bingo / Stars Showbar and Nightclub

Above - The Regent Theatre, Yarmouth - From the Supplement to The Cinema News and Property Gazette of July 31st 1924.

The Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth, was built on a site previously occupied by thirteen houses, for the Regent Theatre syndicate, led by Frederick. H. Cooper. Cooper has opened his first Cinema in 1908 and by 1916 would be managing a chain of them across Norfolk. Construction of the Regent Theatre was carried out by Young & Son of Norwich and was begun despite one of the owners refusing to sell his house on Regent Road, construction carried on around the house until the owner was forced to sell.

Right - An Advertisement for the Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth for the week commencing the 5th of November 1923. Along with the film 'Circus Days' were variety acts on stage including the Megan Brothers, Jack Smiles, and Zara and Zozo - With the Kind Permission of Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The Theatre was designed by the architect Francis Burdett Ward from Wisbech and opened as the Regent Variety and Picture Theatre on the 26th of December 1914. The exterior of the Theatre was constructed in the Baroque style with an elegant wrought iron canopy stretching along the whole frontage, with a frieze depicting Music, Comedy, and Tragedy situated above the entrance. Steps led up from the entrance to a the vestibule where oak doors opened onto a spacious foyer with stairs leading up to the balcony, tea room, and smoking lounge.

There were also oak paneled tea lounges either side of the main entrance with elaborately decorated plaster ceilings. A kitchen was situated in the basement and operated by the local Savoy Restaurant.

Left - Tearooms were situated on either side of the main entrance of the Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth. These were decorated in the same elaborate manner as the Theatre's auditorium - Photograph shown here with the Kind Permission of Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The Cinema News and Property Gazette carried a photograph of the Regent Theatre in their July 31st 1924 edition, (shown above) and a short article about the Theatre's Iron Canopy, saying:- 'The employment of artistic iron canopies for the dual purpose of decorative effect and the provision of protection for waiting queues is becoming more and more characteristic of the great super-cinemas. At one time the use of such canopies was regarded as something of a luxury; to-day it is looked upon rather as a necessity. But the erection of such metal and glass structures is a specialised art. Our illustration is of the Regent Theatre, Yarmouth, and it will be noted that the canopy is of a particularly attractive description, and some beautiful ornamental ironwork is introduced. The canopy was made and erected by the Lea Foundry Co., of Bromley-by-Bow, who specialise in this class of light construction engineering, either from architects' designs or their own. Steel staircases and fire escapes for cinemas are other specialities of the Lea Foundry Co.' - The Cinema News and Property Gazette, July 31st 1924.

Above - The Auditorium of the Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth showing the elaborate decoration in what was considered to be one of the most ornate Theatres outside of London - Photograph shown here with the Kind Permission of Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The Theatre's auditorium, which could accommodate 1,679 people, was decorated in the Louis XV style with a colour scheme consisting of grey, pink and gold, with Wilton carpets and velvet curtains and drapes, and had three boxes either side. The proscenium was lavishly decorated in gold with a clock in the centre. There were fourteen candelabras, supplied by Mann Egerton of Norwich, which provided the electric lighting for the auditorium using electricity generated by two on site gas generators.

Above - The Auditorium and Stage of the Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth - Photograph shown here with the Kind Permission of Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The Regent Theatre had a fully equipped stage, 30 foot deep, with an orchestra pit and four dressing rooms for artistes. Variety acts staged at the Theatre consisted of singers, comedians, jugglers and acrobats who performed twice each evening. The Theatre's orchestra would accompany the silent films and shows, the musical director being W. Holden, and there was also a first class violinist. This combination of Films and Variety with orchestral music would continue throughout the 1920s until the coming of 'talking pictures' in 1929 when the variety acts ended and the resident orchestra was let go.

Above - The Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth with its elegant façade and canopy over the pavement. On the right of the building can be seen the entrance to a corridor which ran through to Albion Road - With the Kind Permission of Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The Regent Theatre was taken over by Associated British Cinemas (ABC) in 1929 and in 1946 they launched the ABC Minors there which quickly developed into a flourishing national club presenting special programmes for children each Saturday morning. The programme usually included a serial shown over several weeks, to encourage the young audience to keep attending.

Cinemascope was introduced at the Regent in 1955 with a showing of the films 'Student Prince' and 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'. For this to be achieved major alterations had to be made to accommodate the 35 foot wide by 14 foot high Cinemascope screen.

Right - The auditorium of the Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth during its Bingo years - Courtesy Paul Willetts.

Surprisingly the Regent Theatre, despite changes of use over the years including its Bingo incarnation, which began in 1982, have not altered the fine auditorium which although partly covered up over the years still survives to this day.

The Theatre's stage house, 30 foot deep, is still intact and although there is a modern proscenium covering up the original, the building could be reverted to theatre use again without too much trouble given the will and finance. Consequently the Theatre's Grade II Listing which was applied to the building during its Bingo conversion in 1982 is well deserved.

Left - The auditorium of the Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth during its Bingo years - Courtesy Paul Willetts.

Bingo closed at the Theatre in December 2011 but in 2014, after being boarded up for 3 years, the building was restored and reopened, on the 12th of April 2014, as the 'Stars Showbar and Night Club'. The venue, which was billed as a bar in the daytime and a cabaret bar and nightclub at night, had a capacity of 1,000 people including VIP booths and Boxes, and standing areas, and its website said that it planned 'to stage Singers, Dancers, Bands, Comedy Nights, Wrestling, Boxing Matches, Pantomimes, Ladies Nights, Plays, Cabarets, Burlesque Nights, and Named Acts, catering for all ages.'

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the former Regent Theatre, Great Yarmouth in 2018 - Click to Interact.

Much of the information for this Theatre and the early images were kindly sent in by Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That’s Entertainment-Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

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

The Regent Hall, 3 and 4, Regent Road, Great Yarmouth

By Colin Tooke

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the Market Gates Shopping Centre, Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, in June 2018. The building is situated on the site of the former Regent Hall of 1867 - Click to Interact.

In 1867 it was reported that 'a substantial and commodious building, capable of containing 2,000 people' was to be erected on a piece of land, just outside the town wall, at the top of Regent Road, land which belonged to local auctioneer, Mr J.W. de Caux. This was only a short distance from the Theatre Royal.

The wooden building, designed for circus performances, was built in three weeks and three days by John Isaac of Market Road; it was 100ft deep and 67ft wide. The interior was lit by 310 gas burners and there were dressing rooms, stables and an entrance hall. The address was numbers 3 and 4 Regent Road, Mr de Caux living at number 2, Town Wall House, shown below left.

Right - An early Poster for the Regent Hall, Great Yarmouth for June 1869 - Courtesy Colin Tooke.

After the initial three-month season of Henry and Adams Circus, the building was converted into a theatre by adding a stage and dress boxes; it was now run by a syndicate of local businessmen, headed by Mr de Caux.

The building reopened in May 1868 as the REGENT HALL and the first stage performance opened on 11 May with a three-week season by the English Grand Opera Company. Performances commenced at 8.00 p.m. and prices were: Reserved Stalls 3s, Pit and Promenade 1s and Gallery 6d.

The theatre staged a wide variety of entertainment, including minstrel troupes, dramas and operas, music recitals, magicians and burlesque.

Many local amateur groups used the Regent Hall, including the St. Peter's Musical Association the Great Yarmouth Christy Minstrels and the Glee Society.

Left - The picture shows Regent Road, looking towards the sea. The Regent Hall stood back from the road in the space that can be seen beyond Town Wall House. Later the Electric House was built on this site, today part of the Market Gates Shopping Centre - Courtesy Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment - Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

A playbill from June 1869, shown above right, a rare survival from this short-lived theatre, gives an indication of the type of cultural entertainment available in the town at that time. The English Grand Opera Company, described on the playbill as 'universally pronounced the best company that has ever visited Yarmouth', presented on Wednesday 23 June the romantic opera Fra Diavolo and a musical farce, Quaker, the next evening a grand opera, Lucrezia Borgia and a farce, My Precious Betsy. On Friday evening the St Peter's Musical Association presented a comic opera Elixir of Love, three operas in one week!

Above - An Early Programme for the Regent Hall, Great Yarmouth - Courtesy Simon Moss, stagememories.

In June 1872, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales paid three visits to the theatre in one week, the London Gaiety Theatre Company being specially engaged to entertain the royal visitor. In October that year the building closed for more alterations and another circus, W & G Pinder's Royal Circus, performed for a season which was to end the following March. After the installation of a new stage, the Regent Hall opened as a Music Hall on 23 April 1873, the opening concert featuring two vocalists, a flautist and the Band of the East Norfolk Militia. This was followed by the Royal Gaiety Minstrels and then variety of all kinds, including illusionists, pantomime, unusual acts such as Mr W.S. Woodin in his Carpet Bag Entertainment, freak shows with General Tom Thumb and his wife, and Chrissie Miller, advertised as 'a two headed singer'. In July circus returned for a short season, to be followed again by variety until the final circus season, which finished in February 1874.

Right - A rare piece of ephemera that has survived from the Regent Hall, a playbill dated 1869 - Courtesy Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment - Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The Yarmouth Independent of 28 February 1874 reported 'The Regent Hall is now in the process of demolition to make room for a structure of a permanent character.' This new structure did not materialise however, and the site of the Regent Hall once again became part of the garden of Mr de Caux's house. A private house was later built on the site and in 1928 the Great Yarmouth Corporation Electricity Department built the Electric House where the Regent Hall had once stood.

Left - A rare piece of ephemera that has survived from the Regent Hall, a programme from 1872 - Courtesy Colin Tooke from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment - Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

This mock Tudor building was demolished in 1972 to make way for the Market Gates Shopping Centre. Due to its short life of only seven years there is little recorded history of the Regent Hall, probably the town's most unusual and short-lived entertainment venue.

The above article on the Regent Hall, Great Yarmouth, and most of its accompanying images, was written by Colin Tooke and kindly sent in for inclusion on the site by him in 2024, the article was first published in Colin Tooke's now out of print book 'That's Entertainment - Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

The Theatre Royal, Regent Road, Great Yarmouth

Later - The Regal Theatre

Above - The Auditorium of the Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth - Courtesy Colin Tooke.

The Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth, was originally constructed in 1778 and opened on the 4th of December that year with a prologue spoken by a Mr. Griffith, followed by the players from the Norwich Company of Comedians who appeared in 'The English Merchant' and the farce 'The Trip to Scotland'. The first season at the Theatre had performances on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings only.

Right - An Early Advertisement for the Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth - From the Norfolk Chronicle, 29th of November 1845.

The Theatre was designed by Fulcher Orsam and constructed by the local builders Scott & Harrison and took eight months to complete, at a cost of £1,500. This was raised from eleven local businessmen who each subscribed £100 and were given a silver disc (See Images) which gave them the right to enter the Theatre at any time without having to pay admission. Additional facilities were added six years later with more money raised by the original subscribers.

The Theatre was remodeled and almost entirely rebuilt by 1820 at a cost of £1,500, as much as it had cost to build it in the first place. This was a stipulation of the local Corporation who agreed to grant a 99 year lease to William Wilkins if the alterations were completed within five years. A mix of entertainment then became the regular fare with romantic and classical drama, operatic plays and even the occasional variety show. Appearing on the Theatre's stage over the years were, amongst others, Kemble, Batley, Edmund Kean, Bellamy, Fisher, Charles Kean, Charles Matthew, Sims Reeves, and John Hollingshead's Gaiety Company.

The Theatre was again renovated and redecorated in 1869 by the then Lessee W. Sydney and his manager J. F. Young, and reopened with a production of 'The Wife's Secret.' Increased variety performances mixed with the traditional drama productions led to a revival in the popularity of the Theatre which had been languishing over the preceding years.

In 1888 the Theatre was offered for sale by auction and was bought by a local entrepreneur, J. W. Nightingale for £1,200. He was already running the Royal Aquarium and several Hotels in the town and he set about alterations and improvements to the Theatre Royal which included new entrances and exits, new dressing rooms, new seating, a complete redecoration, and the installation of electricity provided by its own generator. Nightingale also added four shops at the southern end of the Theatre facing Regent Road. He also bought back, at great expense, the original Silver Tickets which had allowed subscribers free entry to the Theatre for the past 110 years. The Theatre reopened as the New Theatre Royal with the comic opera 'Maid Marian' on the 9th of May 1892 direct from the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. Prices were: Private Boxes 1 guinea, Grand Circle 3s, Stalls 2s 6d, Balcony 1s and Gallery 6d.

The alterations to the Theatre Royal had been carried out by the renowned Theatre Architect, Frank Matcham and the ERA reported on changes in their 20th of February 1892 edition saying: 'At this theatre extensive alterations and additions are being carried out under the direction of Mr Frank Matcham, architect. New exits have been made from all parts of the theatre. The ground-floor will he fitted up with stalls with upholstered seats, and from here two separate exits to the side streets are made. The dress-circle has now two separate exits. The upper circle has been greatly enlarged, and a wide promenade added, with retiring-rooms and new saloons; this circle has now two separate exits. The gallery seating has been rearranged, and this part of the auditorium has been supplied with two separate exits. The principal structural alterations are near the stage end of the building, where four new shops have been erected. New dressing-rooms and property-rooms have been built, and every convenience for the artists has been provided. A new pay-office and manager's room have been built at one side of the vestibule, and a refreshment saloon at the other. Hydrants are to be fitted up, and the theatre will be entirely redecorated, the ceiling being panelled with mouldings and rich scrolled ornaments. The fronts of the circles and gallery are to be ornamented with raised fibrous plaster enrichments, and two new draped entrances to the stalls are to be formed under circular-fronted and canopied private boxes, handsomely decorated. The present side entry doors in the proscenium will be ornamented with mouldings, scrolls, &c., and draped with plush. A new act-drop and plush tableau curtains will he hung. The gas arrangements and fittings will be rearranged, and the whole of the auditorium and entrances artistically decorated and upholstered. The work is being pushed on rapidly, and will be finished in a few weeks'. - The ERA, 20th February 1892.

Left - An Advertisement for the Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth - From the Yarmouth Gazette and North Norfolk Constitutionalist, 23rd of January 1875.

A few years after it reopened early cinematograph films were shown for the first time at the Theatre, in June 1897, but this was only a short experiment and would not be repeated until 1907. The Theatre was only opening for the summer season by 1900, from July to September, and an amateur production in January, the Theatre's revenues were in decline but it was still a much loved Theatre with the 1907 guide to Great Yarmouth describing it as 'a popular play-house entirely transformed and, although small, is one of the prettiest and most cosy theatres one could wish to meet with. It is well-appointed, and visitors can always rely upon finding one of the latest London successes being presented'.

Variety then became the main stay of the Royal with Films being shown regularly as part of the entertainment from 1912 until 1915 when, due to the war, the restrictions on lighting and the curtailment of the tramway system, which was not allowed to run along the Marine Parade in the evening, led to Walter Nightingale moving the stage shows scheduled for his Royal Aquarium to the Theatre Royal. The Theatre now returned to live entertainment only, and was open almost every week of the year despite the war. Walter Nightngale had taken over the running of the business when his father William Nightingale died in 1911.

Right - An Early Programme for the Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth - Courtesy Simon Moss, stagememories.

In 1923 it was announced that new stage lighting was to be installed at the Theatre Royal for the first time and coloured lights would be used, this was a new development in Theatre lighting. A few years later, in December 1926 the Theatre was sold to Herbert Jay of the Kingsway Theatre Ltd., a London company who went on to run the Royal until 1928.

In September 1928 Arnold Ridley's famous comedy thriller 'Ghost Train' was performed at the Royal. This was one of the many plays written by Ridley, who was much later to become well known for his character 'Charles Godfrey' in the 1970s television series 'Dad's Army'.

But the writing was on the wall for this Theatre, the last show to be put on at the Theatre, a production of the pantomime 'Aladdin' at Christmas 1928, ending on the 12th of January 1929 had been poorly attended, apparently because there had been no advertising for it, and sadly this proved to be the end for this Theatre, which closed after the last performance, never to reopen.

Left - A Notice in the Kinematograph Weekly of the 29th of August 1929 on the purchase of the Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth by F. H. Cooper for demolition and rebuilding as the Regal.

The Theatre Royal then remained empty and unused for the next five years until it was eventually demolished in 1933 to make way for a new Super Cinema on the site called the Regal Theatre, see details below. When the Theatre Royal was demolished it was one of the few eighteenth century playhouses still left in the Country, and one of the oldest in Europe.

Some of the above information on the Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth was kindly sent in by Colin Tooke in 2024, and is from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment - Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

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

The Regal Theatre, Regent Road, Great Yarmouth

Formerly - The Theatre Royal - Later - The ABC Theatre / Cannon Cinema

Above - A photograph of the former Regal Cinema, Great Yarmouth, during the run of the Les Dennis 'All Laughter Show' in 1986. This was the last summer show to be staged at the Theatre, under the ownership of Cannon Cinemas. Also on the Bill were Roy Walker, Vince Hill, the Toby Tubs, Pavlovs Puppets, Ray Cornells, and Julie Hedley - Courtesy Martin Hough.

The Regal Theatre was built as a Super Cinema with stage facilities on the site of the former derelict Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth. The Theatre was designed by the local firm of Olley & Haward, in cooperation with the London Architects F. Howard and T. Darbyshire of the architectural firm Yates Cook and Derbyshire. It was constructed by J. Balls & Son of Northgate Street and opened on the 1st of January 1934 with the films 'The Private Life of Henry VIII' and 'The Air Hostess.'

Right - An Advertisement for 'The New moon' at the Regal Theatre, Great Yarmouth in 1935 - From the Yarmouth Independent, 20th of April 1935.

The Theatre was equipped for showing 'Talkie' films from the start and for live shows its fully equipped stage was thirty feet deep. There were also nine dressing rooms for artists, and its auditorium, decorated with a colour scheme of fawn and sienna, relieved with rose and gold, could seat 1,500 people. There was a spacious foyer with a central pay box. The Theatre also had a Compton five-rank Theatre Organ, which could rise from the orchestra pit, and was the only such organ to be installed in any Theatre in the town. It was played by Reginald New for the opening week. Seating was installed by Arnold Bros., of King Street, and the carpets were fitted by Bonings, also of King Street. Prices for its opening weeks were Orchestra Stalls 1s, Stalls 1s 3d, Circle 9d and 1s, Grand Circle 1s 6d and 1s 10d.

Above - A Full Page Article on the Opening of the Regal Theatre, Great Yarmouth in 1934 - From The Yarmouth Independent, 6th of January 1934.

Although built primarily as a Cinema the Regal did stage various live shows on its stage especially in the summer seasons, the first live show to be presented there was on the 15th of January 1934 when it was home to the pantomime 'Mother Hubbard', and subsequently there were three live shows presented there that year including a musical comedy by the Yarmouth Amateur Operatic Society. For several weeks of the first year there were also variety acts appearing three times daily during the film programmes.

Right - A Programme Cover for the Regal Theatre, Great Yarmouth whilst under the control of ABC Theatres - Courtesy Philip Paine.

From 1935 Sunday Concerts were introduced, thirty nine were put on from April to December, with well-known names such as Billy Cotton and his band, Max Miller, Paul Robeson and Elsie and Doris Waters. In its later years the Regal would become host to a variety of music events and pop concerts as well as its regular film presentations.

The Regal was taken over by Union Cinemas in 1936 and then in 1938 it was taken over ABC, who would much later rename it The ABC Theatre in 1963.

Like many cinemas throughout the country the Regal had remained open during the war years, and played an important role in providing public information and also raising morale. After the war, in 1948, the Regal put on weekly variety shows during the summer season from June until September, and films during the rest of the year. In addition there were Sunday Celebrity Concerts, mainly featuring big bands. The 1949 variety shows included Lupino Lane and Big Bill Campbell and his Rocky Mountain Rhythm and there was one week when it even featured an Ice Carnival. The variety shows included some of the biggest names in show business, such as Billy Cotton and his band in 1952, and in 1953 the great entertainer, George Formby, appeared on its stage for three consecutive Sundays in August.

Left - A Programme for 'The Dick Emery Show' at the ABC Theatre, Great Yarmouth in the 1970s - Courtesy Catherine Wall.

Cinemascope was introduced at the Regal in 1955 and the following year, in November 1956, it screened the film 'Rock Around the Clock', starring Bill Haley. This was a film that heralded a new type of music for the 'teenage' generation, 'Rock 'n' Roll'. Unruly behaviour had been associated with this film wherever it had been shown around the country and Great Yarmouth was no exception. The audience clapped, sang and jived in the aisles throughout the film, the problem spilling out onto the pavement in Regent Road, resulting in a police attendance. No film in the history of the cinema had had this effect on its audience.

Above - A Programme for 'The Dick Emery Show' at the ABC Theatre, Great Yarmouth in the 1970s - Courtesy Catherine Wall.

In 1957 stars appearing on the Regal's stage in the weekly variety shows during the summer season included Jimmy Young, Des O'Connor, Lonnie Donegan and the Beverly Sisters. Admission prices were by then: Front Circle and Stalls 5s 6d, Centre Stalls 4s 6d and Back Stalls 3s 6d. By this time the Manager of the Theatre was Jack Hare.

In 1958 a resident Summer Show was introduced, in place of weekly variety. The popular Sunday concerts continued however, and the 1960s saw some of the top names from the pop music world including in 1963, on 30 June and 28 July, The Beatles, who were then at the beginning of their career and at the start of a 10-week tour of seaside resorts. The first resident summer show at the Regal was the popular TV game-type show, Pot Luck, hosted by Charlie Chester.

Above - A Selection of Programme Covers for the ABC, Great Yarmouth - Courtesy Martin Clark.

Although the Regal had been under the control of ABC since 1938 it was not until 1963 that it was renamed the ABC Theatre, and only shortly before ABC cinemas and theatres were taken over by EMI Ltd in the 1970s. However, despite the change of ownership the ABC Theatre name was retained. The last summer show at the ABC was in the 1986 season and the following year stage shows were abandoned and only films were shown in the Theatre which would then become a Cannon Cinema.

Right - A Google StreetView Image of the site of the former Regal Theatre and Theatre Royal, Great Yarmouth in June 2018 - Click to Interact.

Cannon would close the Theatre in May 1988 however, with a final showing of the film 'Raw' with Eddie Murphy, and that was to be the end of entertainment on this site since way back when the Theatre Royal had first been constructed there in 1778.

The Regal Theatre was subsequently demolished in 1989 and then shops were built on the site.

Some of the above information on the Regal Theatre, Great Yarmouth was kindly sent in by Colin Tooke in 2024, and is from his now out of print book 'That's Entertainment - Theatres and Cinemas of Great Yarmouth & Gorleston.'

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

The Hippodrome, St George’s Road, Great Yarmouth

Above - The Great Yarmouth Hippodrome in 2007 - Courtesy Charles Bowman

The Great Yarmouth Hippodrome was built by the Circus showman George Gilbert in 1903 and designed by the Architect R. S. Cockrill. Since it opened the venue has been used for Circus with water spectacles, variety shows, Cinema, and Cine Variety, and during the war years as shooting range for the military.

Right - A postcard of the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome which was posted in 1917.

The Theatres Trust says of the Hippodrome: 'A building of outstanding importance. There are only two purpose-built permanent circuses in Britain still in full working order and probably only four or five operational pre-1950 circuses in the world... The Yarmouth example, like the Blackpool Tower Circus, is a true Hippodrome, whose traditional sawdust ring can be flooded for water spectacles.'

The Great Yarmouth Hippodrome has an auditorium formed into an arena with seating situated around a central ring of some 42 foot and because of its excellent acoustics it is also an ideal home for orchestral concerts.

The Grade II* Listed building also still has its original stables and outbuildings and can accommodate 1,200 people.

Left - An early postcard depicting the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome.

You may like to visit the Hippodrome's own website here.

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

Above - The Great Yarmouth Hippodrome in 2009 - Courtesy Paul Willetts

The Empire Theatre, Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth

Above - The Empire Theatre, Great Yarmouth in 2007 - Courtesy Charles Bowman.

The Empire Theatre, Great Yarmouth was built in 1911 and designed by the Architect A. S. Hewitt, who also previously designed the Gem Theatre in the town. The Theatre was built for E. V. Barr Ltd., who had been running the the Gem Theatre since 1908. The Theatre's auditorium was built on two levels, Stalls and one Horseshoe shaped Circle which curves round to almost reach the proscenium.

Right - A detail of the facade of the Empire Theatre, Great Yarmouth in 2009 - Courtesy Paul Willetts.

The Theatre's exterior was constructed using Bermantoft's vitreous terra cotta and designed in the Renaissance style.

The Theatre was equipped with dressing rooms and a band room under the stage which was 40 foot wide by 48 foot deep, and had a proscenium opening of 25 foot, and a fly tower with grid and fly rails which are all still in existence although the building is no longer used as a Theatre.

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the former Empire Theatre, Great Yarmouth in May 2019 - Click to Interact.

For a while the Theatre was being used as as a nightclub called Zen until that closed down in 2009. It was then left empty and unused for a number of years but at the time of writing in August 2022 it is open as a nightclub again, and with its original Empire name.

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

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

The Royal Aquarium, Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth

Later - The Aquarium Theatre / 3 in 1 / Royalty Cinema / Hollywood / The Arc Cinema

Above - The Former Royal Aquarium, Great Yarmouth in August 2022 - Courtesy Alfred Mason.

The Royal Aquarium, situated on Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth, was designed by the Architects John Norton & Philip E. Massey and opened on Tuesday the 5th of September 1876. The first stone of the building had been laid on Saturday the 9th of October 1875 and it had been hoped that it would open six months later but delays with the foundations for the construction meant that it was almost a year before the building was completed.

Right - The Aquarium, Britannia Pier, and the Revolving Tower at Great Yarmouth - From a postcard c.1920s.

Originally an Aquarium for the display of fish, with a skating rink on its roof, the building was later converted for theatrical use by the Great Yarmouth Architects Bottle & Olley at a cost of £10,000, and reopened as the Aquarium Theatre on Monday the 2nd of July 1883.

The conversion work had been started on the 2nd of October 1882, and consisted of the construction of a 'Grand Hall', 115 feet long by 60 feet wide, within the walls of the original building. The roof was also raised so that the height was now some 44 feet instead of the 17 foot height of the previous building.

Left - An Advertisement for Operatic, Dramatic, and Variety Entertainments at the Great Yarmouth Aquarium in 1883 - From The Eastern Daily Press, September 4th 1883.

The aquarium's fish tanks were retained in promenades along the sides of the ground floor of the new auditorium, and behind were further promenades for the sale of 'Fancy Goods'. Promenades were also constructed above the stalls on either side of the auditorium and at the northern end. At the southern end the proscenium and stage were situated, the stage itself being 60 foot wide by 40 foot deep, with a 33 foot proscenium opening, which could be reduced to 26 feet for dramatic performances by the use of sliding panels.

Right - A Plaque commemorating the Royal Aquarium's history is situated on the building - Courtesy Alfred Mason.

Arthur Lloyd is known to have performed at the Royal Aquarium Theatre on the 16th of August 1886 in a variety show which included The Pinands, Saroni, The Teemo Troupe and Arthur's wife Katty King. Arthur performed there again on the 1st of August 1887 with The Lawrence Sisters, The Phydoras and Herr Limner.

Above - The Great Yarmouth Aquarium in August 1909 - Courtesy Colin Tooke.

Listings in contemporary newspapers for the Aquarium Theatre dry up in August 1925. Films had already been shown as part of the variety shows there since 1914 and by the mid 1920s it had gone over to full time Cinema use, although still under the Royal Aquarium name, with seating for 1,500.

A smaller Theatre known as the Little Theatre was later constructed in the Aquarium's former restaurant at the rear of the building, but this was also converted into a Cinema, with 264 seats, in January 1970.

Right - A Google StreetView Image of the former Royal Aquarium, Yarmouth, in May 2019 - Click to Interact.

For a while the main building was converted into a Disco called 3 in 1, and then in July 1982 it was back in Cinema use again as the Royalty Cinema with seating for 1,180. Later it went over to Nightclub use called Hollywood, and the building also had five small Cinemas, today known as the Arc Cinema. Amazingly parts of the original glass tanks of the Royal Aquarium still remain inside the building today and can be seen in various parts of the building, although mostly hidden from public view.

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

The Britannia Pier Theatre , Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth

Formerly - The Pavilion Theatre

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the Britannia Pier and Theatre, Great Yarmouth - Click to Interact

The Britannia Pier was first constructed in 1857 by A. W. Morant and opened on July the 13th the following year, 1858. The Pier was 700 foot long when it first opened but this was reduced after a collision with a ship in 1859 and storm damage in 1868. The Pier was later demolished in 1899 and a new Pier was constructed to replace it, designed by Joseph and Arthur Mayoh, and opening in 1901. This new Pier was longer than the first at 810 foot, and it also housed a Pavilion. The Pavilion was replaced in in 1902 with a larger structure but this was destroyed by a fire in 1909. Another Pavilion, designed by Douglass & Arnott, was opened in 1910 but this too was destroyed by fire in April 1914. Yet another Pavilion was then quickly constructed on the Pier, opening in July 1914, and again being destroyed by fire in 1954. The Pavilion was replaced again in 1958 and housed a Theatre called the Pavilion Theatre which is today called the Britannia Pier Theatre.

Right and Below - A Programme for Norman Evans in 'Good Evans' at the Pavilion Theatre on the Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth - Courtesy Roy Cross.

You may like to visit the Britannia Pier's own website here.

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

Above - A Programme for Norman Evans in 'Good Evans' at the Pavilion Theatre on the Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth - Courtesy Roy Cross.

Arthur Lloyd in Yarmouth

Arthur Lloyd is known to have performed in Great Yarmouth in 1870, most probably at the Theatre Royal, and then again in 1886 and 1887 at the Aquarium - The ERA writes:- "Mr Arthur Lloyd will Commence his Annual Tour of the Provinces on Monday, 15th August, at Yarmouth, with a Company of Select Artistes. Elegant Stage Fittings, Costly Dresses &c. No expense spared to render this the Best Entertainment travelling." - The Era.

Above - A Notice in the ERA of the 14th of August 1870 - Mr. Arthur Lloyd is accompanied by a select company of artistes, and will visit the following towns the ensuing week: - Yarmouth, 15th, 16th, and 17th; Lynn, 18th; Boston, 19th; and Great Grimsby, 20th. Business Manager, Mr W. Morton. - Courtesy Emmi Birch.

Archive newspaper reports on this page were collated and kindly sent in for inclusion by B.F.