Crown

• Theatre ID
  1830
• Built / Converted
  1899
• Dates of use
  • 1899 - 1932: as theatre
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  disused
• Address
  Church Street/Mather Road, Eccles, Greater Manchester, M30 0LZ, England

Details

The Crown opened in 1899 as the Lyceum Theatre. The intention was to provide a luxury theatre for Shakespeare productions and drama as well as revue. The façe is of moulded red brick of five storeys with terra cotta dressings to three high arched windows at first floor. Asymmetrically placed short corner tower. This once had a roof with balcony. The auditorium was designed with three balconies, supported by four columns. The ornamentation of the proscenium comprised an allegorical representation of Shakespeare’s ‘Seven Ages of Man’. The act drop was a facsimile of Beverley’s noted work for the opening of the Theatre Royal (Manchester) in 1845 - a Grecian subject painted by Mr Keith. Becoming a cinema in 1932, it was later adapted for Cinemascope, ending stage use. In the late 1980s it was reported to be falling into disrepair internally. The exterior is largely intact, apart from the stage house which has been partly demolished.

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• Other names
  Lyceum, Later: Grand Theatre & Opera House, Crown, Crown Cinema
• Events
  • 1899 - 1932 Use: as theatre
  • 1899 Design/Construction:
    • Campbell & Horsley - Architect
  • 1955 Alteration: adapted for Cinemascope
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1963 Alteration: converted for bingo
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1899 Owner/Management: Richard Flanagan, owner
  • 1907 Owner/Management: W H Broadhead (Broadhead Circuit)
  • 1932 Owner/Management: H D Moorehouse, owner
  • 1955 Owner/Management: Snape Circuit
  • 1963 Owner/Management: ?
  • 1900 - 0 Owner/Management: Crown Cinema (Eccles) Ltd, owner
• Capacities
  • Original: 2500
  • Later: 1959: 2040
  • Current: c.2500
• Listings
  • Grade II - April 2003
• Dimensions
  • Stage dimensions: 1910 Depth: 40ft Width: 43ft
  • Proscenium width: 1910: 28ft