Newcastle, Westgate Road, Pavilion Theatre

HER Number:
12847

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Newcastle, Westgate Road, Pavilion Theatre

Place:
Newcastle

Map Sheet:
NZ26SW

Class:
Recreational

Site Type: Broad:
Music Speech and Dance Venue

Site Type: Specific:
Theatre

General Period:
Modern

Specific Period:
C20

Form of Evidence:
Demolished Building

Description:
The Pavilion Theatre opened in 1903. It occasionally showed film performances. It closed due to financial troubles in March 1913. It reopened on 17 November 1913 having been reseated and redecorated. It was managed by the City Varieites Co. Ltd. Films were abandoned for variety shows and other performances by 1915. The theatre closed again on 30 June 1917. It reopened under the management of the Scala (Newcastle) Ltd on 10 December 1917 as the New Pavilion and was dedicated to films. The cinema could seat just over 1600 people. The managing director, John Graham Cutts, went on to become a successful film director. There was an unusually large orchestra of 40 musicians. In September 1919 the stage was cut back to create a 'floral garden' which surrounded the orchestra. A Nicholson and Lord organ was installed. The former orchestra pit was replaced by tip-up chairs and the cinema was redecorated and recarpeted. In 1924 the Pavilion was taken over by Thompson and Collins circuit, then in 1928 the Denman Picture Houses, then Gaumont-British. In November 1929 a projection box was created from the former circle bar. RCA sound was installed in February 1930. The gallery of the Pavilion was closed in March 1949. Rank modernised the cinema in 1958. The Edwardian boxes and statues were ripped out or hidden behind acoustic tiles. A new wide screen was installed, with grey velvet curtains covered in sequins and lit up with rose-pink lights. The seats were orange. The cinema reopened on 31 January 1961. On 2 August 1963 part of the ceiling fell on the audience due to work in an adjoining building. On 4 March 1968 the cinema closed again for refurbishment, opening again on 28 April, with new lights, a new screen and tangerine seats. The Pavilion closed on 29 November 1975. It was demolished in 1990.

Easting:
2432

Northing:
6405

Grid Reference:
NZ24326405

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Frank Manders, 1991, Cinemas of Newcastle, pages 124-129; Frank Manders, 2005, Cinemas of Newcastle