Plaza Cinema

• Theatre ID
  638
• Built / Converted
  1926
• Dates of use
  • 1926 - 1960
• Current state
  Extant
• Current use
  converted to other use (continued solely as a cinema to Dec 2001; now converted to retail)
• Address
  17-25 Lower Regent Street, Westminster, London, SW1Y 4XB, England

Details

Stone, classical front with domed corner tower. Shops at street level. The Plaza was one of the first truly elaborate large cinemas built in the West End with American money. The interior was designed by Marc Henri. The cinema had full stage facilities and featured a shows staged by Francis A Mangan featuring the Tiller Girls, who performed a routine appropriate to each new feature and who were noted for their precision. Of perhaps greater interest was its plan, which survives vestigially: Paramount were the only company to build cinemas in Britain with small, prestigious mezzanines (here variously called the ‘Royal Circle’ or ‘Foyer Loge’) between the stalls (or parterre) and the circle. The conversion to twin cinemas in 1967-8 was the most expensive then undertaken. Sadly, this means that an exceptionally thorough job was done. There remain only fragments of the old decoration at the very top of the building.

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• Other names
  Plaza-Paramount, Paramount-Universal
• Events
  • Owner/Management: On Crown Estate land
  • 1925 Owner/Management: Paramount, now UCI (since 1972 merger of Paramount and Universal)
  • 1926 - 1960 Use:
  • 1926 Design/Construction:
    • Frank Verity - Architect
    • Marc Henri - Consultant
  • 1968 Design/Construction: reconstructed as twin cinema.
    • Robin Denny - Consultant: Wall Panels In Plaza 1
    • Verity & Beverley - Architect
  • 1977 Alteration: further subdivision (architect unknown).
  • 2004 Alteration: converted to retail (architect unknown).
• Capacities
  • Original: 1896
  • Later: 4 screen cinema 820 (1) 378 (2) 163 (3) 18 (4)
• Listings
  • Grade II - Listed as part of the blanket listing of Regent Street. Not listed in own right.
• Dimensions
  • Orchestra pit: None