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Princess

2388

The Princess Theatre opened in 1893. It continued as a theatre until WWI when it was converted into a cinema. The facade is tall and chapel-like with five Roman arched windows at first and second floor levels and a pediment topped with urns. It had originally a wide central arched entrance, now altered, giving access to the stalls and circle and narrow arches on either side were exits. Four storeys high, red brick with decorative brick mouldings in the form of string courses, key stones and paterae. Highly decorative facade and townscape building, marred only by the 1920s projection box added crudely to the front, but reversible. The words ‘Princess Theatre’ appear in brick on the projection box and at high level. Fly tower slightly raised above the roof. Internally the auditorium was completely rebuilt for cinema use with a single balcony, straight-fronted and of nine rows. The stage area was removed and a new rectangular proscenium arch constructed just in front of the former rear wall of the stage. Dressing rooms behind survive. The ceiling is flat and divided into large panels by acanthus leaf moulding sparsely applied. Used as a snooker hall from the 1990s where a false ceiling was installed at balcony level, and most recently a dance studio. The building is currently vacant.

Built / Converted
1893
Dates of use
  • 1893 - 1920
Current state
Extant
Current use
Disused
Address
West Street (corner of Broad Street), Hoyland, South Yorkshire, England
Website-
Further details
Other names
Empire , Hippodrome
Events
  • 1893 Design/Construction:
    Unknown
    - Architect
  • 1893 - 1920 Use:
Capacities
  • Capacity
    Later
    Description
    1948: 1224
Listings
  • Listing
    Not listed
Stage type
-
Building dimensions: -
Stage dimensions: -
Proscenium width: -
Height to grid: -
Inside proscenium: -
Orchestra pit: -