Theatre Royal

The building opened in 1868 as the Arcade and Assembly Rooms, said to be ‘magnificent’. It contained a basement arcade of elegant shops, refreshments and a billiard-rooms, together with a spacious hall on the first floor with a gallery on three sides, and a stage for theatricals and entertainments. It became the Theatre Royal and at one point included a stock company. It was one of the first places in Blackpool to show animated pictures, and by 1907 it had become the Tivoli Electric Theatre. The exterior was basically intact on a triangular site at the junction of two streets. The low, octagonal tower on corner site elevations was subdivided by piers, framing recessed panels and crowned by a modillion cornice. The first floor at corner had a glazed conservatory. After cinema and bingo use, it became Addison's night spot with live entertainment, often of music hall style with local entertainers, in a separate room in the rotunda facing the Promenade. A fire on 15 February 2009 destroyed the building and resulted in its demolition.