Alhambra Theatre

The seating capacity of the Alhambra was 1931

This theatre was located on Adderley Street.

The Alhambra Theatre in Cape Town was not in Adderley Street but in Riebeeck Street. It was built in a Moorish style, matching the Del Monico restaurant, also owned by African Theatres, on the opposite side of Riebeeck Street.

The Alhambra was used primarily as a cinema, although it also hosted major stage shows that visited the city, such as Annie Get Your Gun and Oklahoma, ice shows and Christmas pantomimes.

The Alhambra was one of the four major cinemas built in close proximity in Riebeeck and St George's streets in the central business district. The others were the Colosseum, the Plaza (renamed Metro) and the Royal, which was the oldest of them all. Later the Van Riebeeck was built further up Riebeeck Street.

None of them survived for long the belated advent of television in South Africa in 1976. All of them were demolished years ago.

Theatre opened on 2 December 1929.Marlene Dietrich appeared on stage her in April 1966.

i remember the very distinct twinkling starry ceiling!!!

Yes i recall the lovely Alhambra Theatre very well too,with its lovely Twinkling Ceiling as was said by (yuri) also the very plush Curtaining and the lovely works on the walls.
The seating was superb,with the Royal Balcony being the best seats in the House,i always tried to get seats in the Upper Circle which were very good too.
Then thre was the period that they used to have Midnight Shows there as well,and you had to go early to get a seat as the Midnight Shows proved to be so ver popular.
there was also one show i will never forget and that was when Jonny (Cryboy) Ray came there and i was not fortunate to get an inside Ticket,but thankfully they had Speakers on the outsides (the Streets were packed) and eventually Johnny Ray came out on the top Balcony and sang to us in the Street,anyone remember that night?? It was GREAT!!!

I was too young to be let out after sunset...I only remember the King and I.

Theatre was demolished in 1974.

In 1929, the Alhambra Theatre acquired its name from an earlier cinema across the street situated at 4 Riebeek Street, to suit it's Moorish architectural theme. The original "Alhambra" in turn acquired the new name "Royal Theatre".

A vintage photograph of the Alhambra Theatre in the 1960's during its stage show presentations period:
http://flickr.com/photos/8270787@N07/2058898819/

Closed in January 1972. Photos are here.

Michael vd Leer mentions the original Alhambra in Riebeeck Street. It was designed in 1911 by the architects MacGillivray & Grant for Wiener & Co. The projected cost was 7,000 pounds but it cost more than that because a sliding roof was added.

WH Grant was to go on to design the chain of cinemas down the Cape Peninsula in the late '30s and early '40s including the Scala, Savoy, Bijou, Empire, etc. Also the Protea in Paarl, the Colosseum in Cape Town and the Del Monico Palais de Danse.

There is a picture of the Alhambra Picture Palace design drawing here http://www.flickr.com/photos/amateurswithnoshame/3706801700/