Palace (Scunthorpe)

• Theatre ID
  404
• Built / Converted
  1912
• Dates of use
  • 1912 - 1954
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  disused (cinema, then supermarket - closed 1998)
• Address
  Cole Street, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England

Details

Opened in 1912 with amateur operatic production. It has not been possible to obtain a description of the building when it first opened as the event was totally ignored by the local press and was not reported in The Era. However, a published post card suggests the front was constructed in three bays. The outer two consisted of square towers each surmounted by a tetrahedral cap. As now seen the painted front is in three bays, the centre one slightly higher and slightly recessed. Centre flat-fronted bay window with rounded ends at first floor level and, above this, a steel framed fin sign. The Palace had a varied career as a theatre and cinema until 1978 when the interior was completely gutted to form supermarket premises. The stalls and stage areas were levelled to form one continuous floor. Above is a permanently installed level which, for a time, was used as a sales area but is now disused. Supermarket use ceased in 1998 and the building is now disused and in poor condition.

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• Other names
  Palace Theatre, Savoy, Essoldo, Classic
• Events
  • 1912 - 1954 Use:
  • 1912 Design/Construction:
    • King - Architect
  • 1931 Alteration: wired for sound
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1932 Alteration: reseated and Western sound system installed
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1938 Alteration: auditorium rebuilt as cinema
    • J Stanley Beard & Bennett - Architect
  • 1954 Alteration: Cinemascope installed
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1978 Alteration: converted to retail
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1912 - 1913 Owner/Management: The Palace Theatre (Scunthorpe) Co Ltd, owners; Arthur Dobney, manager;
  • 1912 Owner/Management: Charles Rex, acting manager
  • 1913 - 1937 Owner/Management: Alfred Blank, manager
  • 1931 - 1937 Owner/Management: F J Butterworth, lessee & manager
  • 1937 - 1954 Owner/Management: F J Butterworth, owner; D R Homan, manager
  • 1972 - 1978 Owner/Management: Hazel Miller, manager
  • 1978 Owner/Management: Classic
  • 1978 - 1998 Owner/Management: Pennywise Poundstretcher
• Capacities
  • Original: c.900
  • Later: 1937: 720 1949: 804 1978: 560
• Listings
  • Grade Not listed
• Stage type
  • Rake
• Dimensions
  • Building dimensions: Frontage to Cole Street 62ft 6in Side to John Street 112ft 3in
  • Stage dimensions: d: c.28ft 3in wSL: 27ft 10.5in SR: 27ft 10.5in
  • Proscenium width: c.30ft 6in