Palace Theatre
30 Kirkgate,
Huddersfield,
HD1 2QT
30 Kirkgate,
Huddersfield,
HD1 2QT
2 people
favorited this theater
This theatre was opened in 1909 as a large music hall, designed by architect R.D. Horsfall. It was part of the McNaughton chain of variety theatres, and occasionally showed films up to the end of the 1920’s. Gutted by fire in 1935, the Palace Theatre was rebuilt in the Art Deco style and a continuous programme of live variety shows. The rebuild in an Art Deco style by architect Roland Satchwell made conversion to a ‘super cinema’ easy, as it was equipped with a projection box, but never screened films due its success as a theatre with stars such as Gracie Fields, George Formby and Sandy Powell packing the house.
In fact, largely due to World War II, variety continued up to the late-1950’s. The Palace Theatre reopened as the Continental Music Hall in 1959, but this failed and it became a bingo hall in 1963. This continued up to 1997, with the interior of the building remaining miraculously intact.
After over ten years laying unused, in 1989 the building was converted to a Chicago Rock Cafe and later Shout nightclub. The stage was still used for live acts, with the circle and gallery partitioned off. It last use has been as a nightclub named Society, which was closed in late-2010 due to bad behavour of its customers.
However in 2008, plans were proposed to demolish the Palace Theatre to extend the Kingsgate Shopping Centre. These were turned down, but an appeal was launched and the plans for demolition were approved. If and when this happens, it is envisaged that the facade of the theatre will be retained.
Contributed by
Phil Danielson
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Recent comments (view all 37 comments)
E.B. great and amazing news that people are finally getting together and saving this gem. Would like to help in any way possible- amazing that you managed to get hold of the plans?– I have scoured the internet for pictures of the interiors to no avail- I have had to rely on the memories of my parents/ friends to see if they can remember where things like the bars were situated. My former name was pueblo. I first went into the theatre in about 1986, when the bingo was going, as I remember it totally intact, apart from the bingo tables installed over the dance floor in 1959. Can you get in Touch ()
This is a continuation- will only let me submit short comments!. In 1997 during the Chicago rock cafe conversion I was horrified with what they had done to the building- with all the air vent pipes broken through the circle and gallery, and the removal of the beautiful deco brass railed staircase which ran from the foyer to the circle lounge. The side galleries they installed- still intact also ruined the theatres proportions. I think the people who have commented on ‘this page ’ over the last few years have done most of the historical research so far- comments on other websites seem to be ‘lifted’ from our stuff on here. Hope to speak to you soon. for it
Hi Curlew, great to hear from you. You could well be our ‘missing piece’, as we too have struggled to find photos of the original interior! I’d be particularly interested to know what the staircase between the foyers looked like – it’s heartbreaking that it was still there so recently but is now gone. The plans lay everything out quite clearly: the stalls bar was in the cellar (which explains the unusually beautiful tiled pillar we found down there!) and the circle bar was in the room off the circle foyer, the one with the hopper window that you wondered whether might have been an office. Satchwell actually designed the theatre originally without any bars, but added them on revised plans later. The plans themselves are something to behold too, so beautifully detailed and incredibly evocative of the period.
I’d love to chat with you more about it – email to follow!
Here is the news. A planning application for conversion of the Palace into student apartments has been submitted. It can be found at http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/business/planning/application_search/detail.aspx?id=2011%2f62%2f93327%2fW Consultation is open to 17 Jan 2012.
A few interior shots from 2007:–
ART DECO CIRCLE FOYER
DRESS CIRCLE
ART DECO CEILING
Following the failure of the listing appeal. This maybe the best that can be hoped for. I like the full restoration of the frontage, but this is basically a ‘gutting down to three exteral walls’ and the total demolition of the existing interior including the stage. This will mean the loss of of the amazing Art Deco ceiling which is unfortunately about the only origional Roland Satchwell 1936 design feature left. Huddersfield Civic Society do not seem concerned about the interior features. Interesting that the Chester Odeon is listed ‘inside and Outside’. As we have said the 1936 interior was more or less totally intact until the Chicago Rock Cafe conversion iwrin
In Birmingham there was the same problem with the Alexandra Theatre.. The original Bars where an after thought. Satchwell and Roberts where noted for their fine Cinemas.. They Did Art Deco first in 1924…. I Think They could have been the first in UK..
Im sure you are right Mike about ‘bars’ issue. Mrs Ball tells me that she has seen the plans lodged at Huddersfield Central Library. The Palace and the Birmingham Alex appear to be the only actual ‘Theatre’s’ Roland Satchwell designed, the rest appear to be Cinemas.I suspect that certainly in the case of The Palace, he was commisioned to design it for easy conversion to a'super cinema' should a reopening with ‘variety’ fail. Interestingly Union Cinemas built the Ritz/ABC the following year and come world war 2 ‘variety’ revived itself which gave The Palace another 20 years as a live theatre. Also by 1947. Huddersfield had over 20 cinemas both in the town centre and provinces- quite a lot really. Perhaps as it turned out two massive cinemas were not required within the town centre. On the plans submitted for demolition by Halco. the Palace was also refered to as the Savoy Cinema. As far as im aware the Palace was open sporadically between 1954 and 1959 as a theatre and was converted to ‘The Continental Theatre ballroom in 1958/9. But I may be wrong of course! The interior of the Palace was by no means as elaborate as for example some of the 'Odeons’ built at the same time for example in Peterborough and Chester or the Plaza in Stockport This may well explain the failure of the listing application. The massive exception to me is the frontage which seems to be highly characteristic of Satchwells cinema designs with the tall stained glass windows. Under the present student apartment plans this is to be retained and restored. What is not to be retained is the fabulous art deco auditorim ceiling- infact its about the only bit of deco left. Hudds. Civic Society are objecting to the plans on a design matter- |I dont know if its on this issue. Mrs Ball tells me she has been in touch with Roland Satchwells grandson and he has all the origional plans. It might be worth contacting him to see if he has any of Rolands other sets of plans for the cinemas in the Midlands.
Interesting report Curlew.
I must question the suggestion that “…the tall stained glass windows. Under the present student apartment plans this is to be retained and restored.”
I am sure the tall windows are not of stained glass, but rather textured/patterned/obscured glass with exotic glazing bars. I also understand that in this proposal the windows will be entirely replaced,not retained nor restored.
I suggest the civic society will be supporting the application despite the loss of the ornate glazing.
I am sure you are right, I suspect ‘coloured glass'I remember in th 1970’s when the building was illuminated at night from the inside- as the bingo club- in the colours of the rainbow it was stunning!. Its a shame it will be lost, probably with the insertion of the new floors. Its a shame the auditorium ceiling cant be saved