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____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Theatres and Halls in South Shields Theatre Royal - Empire Palace - Royal Assembly Hall - The Scala - Gaumont Cinema - Palace Theatre - Grand Electric Theatre - Queen's Theatre - Royal Alhambra Music Hall - Thornton's Theatre of Varieties Arthur Lloyd is known to have performed in South Shields 1892, 1902 |
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The Theatre Royal, 14 King Street, South Shields
Above - Photograph showing what remains of the Frontage of the Theatre Royal, South Shields (above Marks & Spencer) and the Empire Palace (above Shoefare) in 2004 - Courtesy Gareth Price.
Right - Photograph showing what remains of the Frontage of the Theatre Royal, South Shields in 2004 - Courtesy Gareth Price. The Theatre Royal was built by the well known Theatre Architect C. J. Phipps and T. M. Clemence of South Shields in 1866 who had won a competition to build the new Theatre. The auditorium on the
Theatre's opening could accommodate 1,560 but by 1912
this had been increased to 1,660. The stage dimensions in 1866 were
stated as being 31 feet deep by 54 feet wide. The Theatre Royal ceased as an entertainment venue in 1933 and its remaining Facade was Grade II Listed in 1983. |
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Above - The rear of the South Shields Theatre Royal and Empire Theatre in 2008 - Courtesy John West who writes: 'The roof line adjacent to the left is almost certainly the gallery roof line of the old Theatre Royal. According to the Theatres Trust no-one has investigated to see if any theatrical remains are in evidence.' |
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The Empire Theatre, King Street, South Shields Previously
Thornton's Theatre of Varieties
Right - Programme for 'Paddy The Next Best Thing' at the South Shields Empire on Monday, March the 20th, 1922.
Left - The remaining Facade of the South Shields Empire in 2004 - Courtesy Gareth Price. By 1912 the Empire Theatre is stated as being able to accommodate 2,000 people, and the Stage dimensions by 1920 were stated as being 25 feet deep by 49 feet wide, with a proscenium width of 27 foot 6 inches In the 1930s the Empire Theatre was radically altered for Cinema use, Black’s Regal Cinema, and only sections of the exterior walls were retained. The Cinema later became an Odeon and later still Bingo was introduced at the Theatre but this ceased in the 1970s. Although parts of the structure still exist the site is now used for retail shops. The Empire Theatre's remaining Facade has been Grade II Listed. |
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Above - John West's Conjectural drawings of the King Street Entrance
Elevation of the South Shields Empire Theatre - Courtesy John West,
September 2008, who writes: ' Here is my conjectural drawing of Frank
Matcham's South Shields |
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Above - The rear of the South Shields Empire Theatre in 2008 - Courtesy John West. |
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Above - The remaining Facades of the Empire Palace (left) and the Theatre Royal (right), South Shields in 2004 - Courtesy Gareth Price. |
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Royal Assembly Hall, Ocean Road and Mile End Road, South Shields Later The Scala Cinema / Gaumont Cinema
/ The Venue / Masons / Coyote Wild / Vibe
Above - The site of the original and later entrance to the Royal Assembly Hall, later the Scala / Gaumont Cinemas, South Shields in 2008 - Courtesy John West - The original entrance was the red brick building with the arched window, and the later entrance was in the position that the Leveys store is in the photograph. A period photo of which can be found here.
Like the Empire Theatre in King's Street, the Concert Hall also had a bridge over a minor road that led to its auditorium and stage block. Right - The Royal Assembly Hall / Scala / Gaumont tower which was part of the original auditorium and stage block of the building.
Both entrances had a bridge to the auditorium block on the other side of a narrow alleyway but both have since been removed. Left - The back of the original South Shields Royal Assembly Hall entrance block in 2008, showing the bricked up scar where the bridge to the auditorium block used to be - Courtesy John West. |
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'The projection room at the back was precariously bracketed off the back wall and has since been demolished. The circle structure in the photograph looks to be early 2oth century concrete with plaster facings. The original entrance was through a bridge to the right of the photograph. Later this was demolished and the circle was entered through the slips to the right of the screen. The new foyer presumably, being in the position of the original concert platform/stage area.' - Courtesy John West. |
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Left - The back of the former South Shields Scala / Gaumont newer entrance block in 2008 showing the bricked up scar where the bridge to the Auditorium used to be - Courtesy John West. For some images of the Scala / Gaumont see here and scroll down to the South Shields Gaumont Links. There is also an image of the Gaumont auditorium here. If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me. |
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Queen's Theatre, South Shields
Above - The Queen's Theatre, South Shields - Courtesy Alan Chudley The Queen's Theatre, South Shields was built in 1913 by W. T. Weir to the designs of Gibson & Stienlet and opened on the 4th of August that year. The Theatre was originally intended to be a playhouse called the Borough Theatre but the plans were changed and it was eventually built as a Cine-Variety Theatre called the Queen's with a large stage of 40 foot square and an auditorium capable of seating some 2,400 people. The Theatre was destroyed by bombs on the night of the 9th of April 1941 after a performance of 'Laughter After Dark' and was subsequently demolished. Alan Chudley writes on Kitty McShane Productions; 'Having narrowly
missed having their scenery and costumes destroyed during the war at
the Palace Plymouth, and at the Metropole
Bootle, they were to lose them here a few weeks later when the Queens
was bombed. If that was not enough ill luck, they lost more scenery
and costumes in a fire at the Bristol
Hippodrome in 1948.' Alan
Chudley There is more information and many images for the Queen's Theatre here. If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me. |
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Palace Theatre, Frederick Street, South Shields The Palace Theatre in Frederick Street, South Shields was built in 1911. The Theatre closed in 1961 and was subsequently demolished. If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me. |
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Grand Electric Theatre, Ocean Road, South Shields The Grand Electric Theatre on Ocean Road, South Shields was built in 1910 as a Cinema, and is claimed to be South Shields' first purpose built Cinema. The name was changed to The Grand in 1931 but the following year the Theatre was destroyed by fire and subsequently demolished. If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me. |
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Royal Alhambra Music Hall, Coronation Street, South Shields The Royal Alhambra Music Hall in South Shield's Coronation Street was a simple wooden building which was built between 1866 and 1868. Naturally this building has long ago been demolished. If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me. |
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You may like to visit this site for more information and images of South Shield's Theatres and Cinemas. |
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There
were two Theatres built next to each other in South Shields in the late
1800s. The first to be built was the Theatre Royal in 
The
South Shields Empire Theatre was built by the renowned 
The
Empire's layout was quite unusual in that the Entrance and Foyer were
situated on King Street but the auditorium, which originally accommodated
3,000 people, and the stage, were in another block separated by a
narrow street. The Stalls of the Theatre was thus reached by a tunnel
from the Foyer, and the Balcony, which was situated on the first floor,
was reached by a bridge from the King Street Entrance. However, the
Gallery was reached from its own entrance at the rear of the building.
This
building has had many structural changes over the years, and many name
changes to go with it. The Building originally opened as a concert hall
called the Royal Assembly Halls in 
The
original entrance to the Hall was the brick gabled building with the
round arched window on Ocean Road that can be seen in the photograph
above. The entrance was later changed when a new wider entrance block
covered in fiancé tiles was built next door to the former entrance
in 1938 when the building was converted into a Cinema called The Scala.
The original entrance was then converted for retail use. Ironically
the original entrance building still stands but the newer one has since
been demolished and the site is now a retail Store.
Right
- The auditorium of the Scala, Ocean Road, South Shields after the circle
had been added to the original concert hall - Courtesy John West, who
says: 
The
auditorium was later in use as a nightclub called The Venue, then
Masons, then Coyote Wild, and is currently called Vibe.