A photograph of the workforce that built the enormous Castle Theatre. The men completed the work on schedule for the opening in 1908. The theatres first play ‘The Lady of Lyons’ began its run on the 31st July.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Does anyone remember the other small cinema, The YMCA Little Theatre, on Dovecot Street?
It was on the opposite corner from the Hippodrome, on the same side, and at the intersection where Nelson Terrace changed to Prince Regent Street. It was demolished for the same road widening scheme which also saw the demolition of the Hippodrome.
I do! The only picture I remember seeing there was a full length cartoon to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 25th birthday. That would be in the early fifties.
I used to be in the Stockton Masquers Amateur Dramatic Society and we held all our productions in the YMCA Little Theatre on Dovecot Street, that was in the 60’s
Would it be possible to either print a small map alongside photos, or give some directions in which area, road or street buildings or theatres like this one where built or situated? This photo of the Castle Theatre 1908, puzzled me in so far has I was wondering did it become The Empire, Stockton or the Plaza. I decided to do some research and discovered thanks to the internet the following information on Stockton cinemas and theatres.
* Stockton had a fine little Georgian Theatre in Green Dragon Yard which was called the Theatre Royal, it was opened in 1766 by Thomas Bates. Junius Booth, the father of Wilkes Booth who shot President Lincoln, played there with outstanding success. It degenerated into a Music Hall and its name was changed to “The Oxford”. In Georgian times Bishop Street was a fashionable and prosperous shopping centre. In it the Star Theatre, Stockton was built.
* The Castle Theatre, was built in 1908 at the corner of the High Street and Bridge Road. It was opened as a music hall in 1908, and re-named the Empire Theatre. Films were being programmed there from 1916, in addition to dramatic plays and music hall shows. By November 1929, the Empire Theatre was advertising itself as ‘The BIG Talkie Theatre’. It was later equipped with RCA sound equipment. The Empire Theatre was closed as a cinema on 25th March 1961, and converted into a bingo club. This use ceased in 1963 and the building was demolished.
* Odeon Cinema: Originally opened as the Regal Cinema (some say it was the Regent Cinema) on 22nd April 1935, it was taken over by Odeon Theatres Ltd. in 1944 and re-named the Odeon from 12th March 1945. It was demolished and a new Odeon was built on the site, which opened on 25th April 1968. The Odeon had a Compton Organ which was removed when the Cinema was re built.It subsequently became a nightclub, named Zanzibar.
* Globe Cinema: The first cinema on the site was built in 1913, demolished in 1925 and replaced on a larger scale in 1926, still as a cinema. In 1935 Charles and Alfred Lewis rebuilt once again, this time in Art Deco style as the New Globe Theatre. It became an ABC cinema in 1937, but with live use including pantomimes and stage shows. In 1977 it converted to bingo, in which use it continued until closing in 1996. The Globe has remained vacant since 1996 but development plans were developed in 2009 to restore the building to live use. Planning permission was granted in February 2010, and Jomast Developments commenced work on the £4m project in 2011. Dr David Wilmore has been appointed as restoration consultant.
Stockton had other cinemas, The Cinema, The Plaza (Called The Flea Pit) and the Hippodrome.
Interesting stuff there, but when the Odeon did close and was converted to a night-club, it was the called The Mall and later the Zanzibar.
Hippodrome later became the Classic and the Cannon. There was another cinema on a small scale and that was Turners in Bishop Street.
I also believe they was another picture house not far from the Plaza which was above a camera shop, I believe it was called Turners.