Alhambra Theatre

Opened as the Alhambra Theatre, Higher Openshaw in 1908 with 2,000 seats. It was designed by H.A. Turner and was initially a music hall theatre. In 1914 it went over to showing film when theatrical & revue acts dried up due to the war. It became part of the H.D. Moorehouse circuit in 1928 until 1958. H.D. Moorehouse was involved in this building from around 1909 as he was the Managing Director of Alhambra (Manchester) Ltd. who operated it during its theatre days.

Apparently there is little left inside the building which originally had a fan shaped auditorium with a balcony of fourteen rows, flanked by a box on each side of the proscenium. Each box had pilasters and a canopy over and they were angled away from the proscenium. The dressing room block and fly tower have disappeared. The facade is fairly intact, apart from the removal of the square dome which sat on top of the central pavilion which had the theatre entrance under it.

Thats excellent Ken, thanks very much. I pass it every day going to work and had always wondered what its history was.
Thanks again
Andy

I remember walking into the nice looking cinema in the early 60s
I still recall the plush carpets, and a thick curtain leading to the auditorium, as well as the ice-cream ladies in the interval, when it closed I recall entering the dark building and somebody has placed a thick rope, on which from the screen area you could swing from the front to the rear of the cinema in total darkness, it was the scariest ride of my life..but all in all my memories of that building are nice, didnt it end up as a Bingo hall in the late 60s-early 70s?..possibly the star?.....hmm maybe somebody can confirm this, I seem to recall my friend mother being a caller there, a mrs Phythian.

Hi I'm a film location manager, looking to use a place like this for a forthcoming comedy drama. Does anybody have any idea whats happening to this location?
I'd appreciate all your comments
Thanks
Dan Connolly
mrdanconnolly@mac.com

The Alhambra Cinema closed in April 1960.

Hi
It is being demolished now. Started last week after someone set fire to it.
Someone needs to get some pictures of inside if possible. I would but am working.
Regards
Andy