Quick links to other sections on this page . . .

• Location
  
• The Building
  
• Theatre Interior
  
• Main Contractors
  
• Theatre Opening
  
• Reopens as a Cinema
  
• 'Talkies' Arrive
  
• Reopening & New Name
  
• Back to Theatre
  
• Circus and Carl Dane
  
• Closure
  

This was an old theatre which became a cinema for just 20 years then reverted back to being a theatre for the final years of its 63 years life.

Location
Located at the junction of Howard Street and Nottingham Street with entrances from both streets.

The Building
Built with two square towers and a central entrance between with the length of the theatre auditorium running parallel to Howard Street so providing an ornamental façade on two sides.

The steep pitched roof of its high stage tower was topped by a central ventilation tower. Built during 1893 by Thornton's of Rotherham to the designs of Joseph Platts of Rotherham on the site of an earlier Theatre Royal. It was of brick with Horton stone dressings and pediments in the Renaissance style with steep mansard type roofs with ornamental painted wrought iron cresting at eaves.

Windows were of the French Casement style with coloured tinted glass. The building boasted being fireproof and fitted with a safety curtain and the latest Blakeborough patent fire hydrants.

The proprietor was E. Darby with W. Manning as the general manager.

Theatre Interior
The entrance foyer has staircases of green moor stone leading to landings and crush halls thence to the circle and gallery.

The auditorium was noted for its good theatre acoustics aided by the graceful curve at each side where the ceiling joined the cornice. Lighting was by gas chandeliers.

The proscenium opening was 29 feet wide and 24 feet high topped by a fibrous plaster centrepiece illustrating "Music & Arts". The balcony fronts were richly decorated in fibrous plaster.

Main Contractors
Architect - Joseph Platts, Parkgate, Rotherham.
Builders - William Thornton & Son, Rotherham.
Seating - Dean's of Birmingham.
Gas Chandeliers - Guest & Chrimes Ltd, Rotherham.
Fire Hydrants - J. Blakeborough & Sons, Brighouse.

Theatre Opening
The Theatre Royal opened as a theatre on New Year's Day, 1st January 1894 at 7.30pm with the sensational drama play "Manhood". A band was in attendance for this opening performance conducted by W.H. Ashmore.

It continued as a theatre leased to the North of England Theatre Corporation Limited with John Dunbar as manager until 1915 when it closed on Saturday 17th July 1915 for refurbishment and installation of projection equipment and screen.

Reopens as a Cinema
As Kine-Variety was now the trend, it reopened for both films and variety acts on stage on Monday 6th September 1915 under the new name of The Royal Picture House.

Rear projection was used with the projector on a raised box at the back of the stage. The theatre was still leased to the North of England Theatre Corporation Limited with Wilfred Bryan and E.B. Ibbotson as successive managers followed by William H. Brooks and Charles Daemon.

'Talkies' Arrive
The Royal Picture House closed on Saturday 6th December 1930 for another refurbishment with redecorating, new seating and carpets. Most importantly was the construction of a new projection room at the back of the circle and equipped with two new projectors and the Western Electric sound system.

A new screen was installed along with new screen and stage curtains. Seating capacity was 1,250 and claiming to be the largest in Rotherham - but not for long, see Regal/Odeon/Scala history webpage.

Reopening and New Name
The 'talkie' cinema reopened as the Regent on Monday 15th December 1930 with . . .
"The Grand Parade" - 1930 USA B/W
Talkie made with RCA Photophone system.
Starring Helen Twelvetrees, Fred Scott and Richard Carle.
It was advertised as . . .
"All Sound, All Music, All Dialogue"
Stage facilities were retained for live shows as well as 'talkie' films.

Proprietors were now Cinema (Rotherham) & Electra Ltd with Alfred Blank followed by Horace W. Routledge as general manager and run in conjunction with Cinema House and the Electra. Prices were 3d to 1/2d with continuous evening performances and matinées on Thursday and Saturday afternoons.

Back to Theatre
The opening of the new and luxurious Regal cinema (later to become Odeon/Scala) in Corporation Street in 1932 had a dramatic effect on the other older cinemas in the town centre. The Royal suffered badly and stopped showing films and reverted back to a theatre in September 1935 with the new name of Regent Theatre of Varieties and became famed for its pantomimes.

The variety theatre continued successfully throughout the Second World War (1939-45) with Reginald H. Otton as manager followed by John W. Stewart. By 1950 the proprietors were Regent Theatre (Rotherham) Ltd and seating capacity was reduced to 1,000.

Circus and Carl Dane

Patrons of the Regent for the week beginning 28th December 1942 could enjoy the New Year spectacle of the 'Royal Circus' with its clowns, pigeons, horses and ponies, dogs, trapeze and high flying wire acts. The Ringmaster for the event was Carl Dane. How many people knew of Carl's background, I wonder? The muscular Carl Dane was reputed to be exceptionally strong and at 6ft-6ins tall he entered Fossett's Circus as a Cossack Rider. He was also a sparring partner for the World heavy-weight boxing champion Primo Carnera in the 1930's.

His cinema film connection is that in the 1930's he was the first to strike the huge gong (tam-tam) in the logo style opening of British films from (Rank's) General Film Distributors. Later when the Rank Organisation name took over the famous gong it was struck by 'Bombardier' Billy Wells - a former boxer. From the early 1950's for Rank Organisation's colour films the 'gongster' was Ken Richmond - a bronze medal Olympian. Carl Dane was awarded the OBE for his services to charity and entertainment.

Closure
Finally it closed on Saturday 15th June 1957. The former theatre/cinema was then demolished in October 1957 as part of the Rotherham central area redevelopment.