Regent Cinema

Located next to the Prince of Wales hotel, the Theatre Royal was opened on 21st December 1818. It was in use as a Mechanics Institute from 1836 to 1846.

In 1872 it was re-named Price of Wales Theatre and was enlarged in 1883. Around 1900, it became the Royal Theatre of Varieties, and Charlie Chaplin appeared on the stage. The proscenium was 18 feet wide, and on top of it were statues of two male figures. The front of the circle was decorated with plaster cherubs.

On 3rd January 1921, it was opened as the Futurist Cinema, the projection box and managers office were located in the adjacent Prince of Wales Hotel. By 1937 it had been re-named Regent Picture House and was operated by the Liverpool based Regent Enterprises Ltd. chain.

In late-1939, it was taken of by the Southan Morris chain and became part of their S.M. Super Cinemas chain. It was closed suddenly on 28th September 1958.

The building was converted into the Tudor Bingo Club, which remained open until the late-1980’s. Later demolished, the site today is used for car parking, but a fraction of the left hand side of the facade remains attached to the Prince of Wales Hotel.

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