Bow

• Theatre ID
  2415
• Built / Converted
  1937
• Dates of use
  • 1937 - 0: to 1980s
• Current state
  Demolished
• Current use
  demolished
• Address
  Fairfield Road/Bow Road (adjoining Poplar Town Hall), Tower Hamlets, London, E3 2SE, England

Details

The theatre was part of a 1937 Town Hall building of historic interest in its own right as having been commissioned by the poorest of the Metropolitan Boroughs. The theatre was of pleasant, if somewhat spartan, moderne appearance. It had a variety, rather than scenic, stage with a low grid, a metal cyclorama and very large and deep orchestra pit. As a municipal theatre of its date (a time not generally productive of good theatres) it was of surprising quality. Apart from the very front rows, sighting was good in the part flat, part raked auditorium. The stage itself was shallow, but wide, with a proscenium opening of about 10.7m (35ft). Permission was given in 1989 for a development which would have involved its demolition, which was not implemented for several years. The building was finally demolished, however, in 2000.

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• Other names
  Poplar Civic Theatre, Poplar Town Hall Theatre
• Events
  • 1937 Design/Construction:
    • Clifford Culpin (Ewart Culpin & Son) - Architect
  • 1937 Owner/Management: Metropolitan Borough of Poplar
  • 1965 Owner/Management: London Borough of Tower Hamlets
  • 2000 - 0 Demolition:
  • 1937 - 0 Use: to 1980s
• Capacities
  • Later: 1988: 1200
  • Current: 1250
• Listings
  • Grade Not listed
• Stage type
  • Proscenium flat