Granada Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England

6 Castle Gates

, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, United Kingdom SY1 2AG

(map)

Status:	Closed
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	French Renaissance

Function:	Bingo Hall
Seats:	1525
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Cecil Masey
Firm:	Unknown

Built and operated by Shrewsbury Empires Ltd. (a company within the Granada Theatres Ltd.), the Granada Theatre opened on 14th November 1934 with Jack Hulbert in "The Camels Are Coming".

The Granada has a striking facade with four central round columns and two side piers supporting a plinth over the entrance. Inside the decoration is in a French Renaissance style which was carried out by interior designer Theodore Komisarjevsky. Seating was provided in stalls and circle levels and stage facilities were included, but not in a full height stage house. There was also a cafe/restaurant located on the first floor of the foyer for the convenience of patrons and the general public. This was the only purpose built Granada theatre in the circuit that was not equipped with an organ.

A mixed programme of stage shows and films carried on through the years until 1972 when it was announced there would be no more stage shows. Soon afterwards Granada Theatres Ltd applied for a gaming licence for the building and it closed as a cinema on 31st March 1973 with Charles Bronson in "The Valachi Papers" and "Anatomy of a Pin-Up".

It re-opened as a Granada Bingo Club from 17th April 1973 and since May 1991 it has continued as a Gala Bingo Club.

On 17th November 1995, the Granada Theatre was designated a Grade II Listed building by English Heritage.

Contributed by Ken Roe

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Photographs taken in June 2008 here (mainly interiors):-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2579724897/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2580554312/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2580554140/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2580553928/

posted by Ian on Jun 15, 2008 at 6:40am

Here is another recent exterior view.

posted by Lost Memory on Jul 1, 2008 at 6:33am

The Granada around 1969/1970.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25725093@N07/3456976392/

posted by AlAlvarez on Apr 19, 2009 at 1:02pm

What a great photo & strange coincidence. I saw "On Her Majestys Secret Service" when it first came out, with my father & brother at Chicago's Granada Theatre.

I have since also read various back stories on the choice of George Lazenby playing James Bond. Apparently British actor Oliver Reed had at one time been considered as a replacement for Sean Connery.
But the studio didn't think they could counter the varied legendary drinking escapades that Reed was then embarking on, in the press.

Although with Reed's brooding delivery style, I think he would have been excellent as Bond. Much like Daniel Craig, the current Bond.

posted by David Zornig on Apr 19, 2009 at 2:32pm

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