Tyne and Wear HER(13562): Sunderland, Bedford Street, Royal Theatre - Details
13562
Sunderland
Sunderland, Bedford Street, Royal Theatre
Sunderland
NZ35NE
Recreational
Music Speech and Dance Venue
Theatre
Early Modern
C19
Extant Building
The Royal opened in 1855. Hamilton's Diorama was shown on the 15th June 1883. The Royal put on animated films for the first time in 1906 under the ownership of Richard Thornton and the first recorded boxing film shown in Sunderland of the World Championship fight between Britt and Nelson was shown at this cinema. Due to the recession in 1933 the cinema was turned into a boxing stadium and reopened in 1940 as a cinema again. After is closed the premises were bought by the council and renovated into commercial properties. Nothing remains of the interior features and the exterior has been altered beyond recognition.
39797
57262
NZ3979757262
Anderson, A. (1995) A century of Sunderland Cinemas