A recent comment on the Theatre Royal in Yarm Lane led me to older comments about the similarity of the building to the Plaza Cinema: https://picturestocktonarchive.com/2014/01/16/the-theatre-royal-2/#comment-89897
One of the images shows the Theatre Royal after it was damaged by fire in 1906, the interested bystanders appear to be standing in front of The Garrick, in the background is the Holy Trinity School.
The other image is of the Plaza Cinema in Bishop Street, it must have been a theatre originally as the box arrangement stuck on the front of the building was built to house the projectors when it was converted, this feature was fairly common on quite a few old theatres, most of which have long since disappeared. After the fire at the Theatre Royal it was replaced by a roller skating rink which later became that well known venue The Maison De Danse.
On one of my earlier postings I listed the cinemas I had visited in Stockton over the years, I didn’t mention the Plaza as I didn’t know it existed, never having been there, I was pleased when this photo was sent to me, it came with another shot from the other end of Bishop Street with the Grand in the foreground and the Plaza in the background.
Images and details courtesy of Bruce Coleman.