MGM Blackpool
130-140 Church Street,
Blackpool,
FY1 3PR
130-140 Church Street,
Blackpool,
FY1 3PR
4 people
favorited this theater
The ABC Theatre in Church Street Blackpool opened on 31st May 1963 with the summer season stage show “Holiday Carnival” starring Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Designed by C.J. Foster, the new ABC Theatre was built to replace the former Empire Theatre & Opera House which had opened on 4th July 1895 and was designed in an Italian Renaissance style by Manchester architect J.D. Harker. In 1900 it became the Hippodrome Theatre and presented a circus. A raked floor was added in 1910 and it became a cine/variety theatre, seating 2,500. It was taken over by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) in April 1929, and the seating capacity was increased to 2,820. Plans were proposed to rebuild the Hippodrome Theatre in 1939, but the outbreak of World War II halted this. The Hippodrome Theatre closed in 1960.
Much of the old theatre was demolished, except the outer walls and the new ABC Theatre was rebuilt in the shell of the old. Seating 1,934 with stalls and circle it was a very modern theatre with gold seats and tabs. It was used for stage shows during the summer months, with films and concerts during the winter seasons. It was permanently wired up for TV transmissions and during the 1960’s ABC Weekend Television transmitted their ‘Blackpool Night Out’ shows from the ABC. The popular summer shows starred the likes of Frank Ifield, Morecambe & Wise, Cilla Black, Tommy Steele and Englebert Humperdink. The Beatles also played in concert here in 1963. It was one of the few theatres in Britain to have a permanent revolving stage.
The ABC Theatre was closed for conversion into a triple screen cinema in January 1981, completely ruining a fine modern theatre. Re-opening on 30th April 1981, ABC 1 (in the former circle) seated 728, ABC 2 & ABC 3 (in the former stalls area) seated 321 & 231. No more stage shows were possible after the tripling, although the old stage with revolve and safety curtain remained unused behind the conversion and was used for storage. Renamed the Cannon in 1986, then MGM from May 1993. Final closure as a cinema came in December 1998.
After four years closure, it reopened as the Syndicate Night Club in December 2002, with none of the 1963 designed interior remaining.
Contributed by
Richard Roper (abcman)
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
I attended a summer show at the ABC on one occasion, featuring Bruce Forsyth and Millicent Martin. My opinion of both of them increased dramatically as a result.
Sorry Keith, but Brucie & Millie appeared at the Opera House not the ABC otherwise I agree with what you say.
Pictures and other material relating to the original Hippodrome/ABC theater: View link
Thankyou abcman. Looking at your pics of the operahouse, you are, of course, quite right – it WAS a long time ago, after all. However, I DID see a summer show at the ABC, but now can’t remember who it was for the life of me!
What a shame that this venue is no longer operating as a cinema or theatre.
My first visit here was in either 1971 or 1973 while on a coach trip from the Welsh valleys to see the Blackpool Illuminations. At that time the venue was known as the ABC Princess and during our visit the ABC was in use for live performances although movies were being advertised in the foyer as future attractions once the Summer/Autumn season was over with.
Our visit was to see a stage show with starring Cilla Black. To us valley types at that time the auditorium was pure luxury and the stage presentation exceptional at that time. To me it would have been unthinkable to convert the venue from one auditorium to split screens. The facade was certainly late sixties and appeared to be covering the original structure.
Sorry…but the ABC theatre was NEVER known as the Princess. The ABC Princess was on the promenade opposite the Metropole Theatre and had no stage facilities of any kind. The ABC in Church Street was formerly the Hippodrome, and the openinmg show was Summer Holiday starring Cliff and the Shadows. I know this to be true because I was the Co-Chief Projectionist/Lighting Engineer at the time. The ABC eventually ended up in the hands of Cannon and was then divided up into one major screen in the old Circle, and 2/3 under the neath in the stall. It eventaully ended up as a Nite Club / Disco.
???? It was devided up in 1981 before the Cannon Takeover.. The First Manager was Bob Parsons followed by Chadwick from memory I used to work for the Real ABC co., before going Independent
The ABC Princess wasn’t on the Promenade, and was opposite the Metropole Hotel (not Theatre), whose front was on the Promenade.
The opening show in 1963 at the new Church Street ABC Theatre was in fact called ‘Holiday Carnival’.