Regal Cinema

Located on Castle Circus at Castle Road in the seaside town of Torquay, Devon. The Regal Cinema was built for and operated by the Associated British Cinemas(ABC) chain.

It was designed by their in-house architect William R. Glen. It was built on a steep slope, and the entrance was at the lower end, closest to the town centre. The raked seating area in the stalls took advantage of this slope, and the screen was located at the entrance end of the building, meaning patrons entered from behind the screen. Seating was provided in stalls and circle levels. The decorative scheme in the auditorium was in a semi-Atmospheric style, with scenes of local beauty spots painted in panels on the side-walls. The cinema had a fully equipped stage and several dressing rooms.

It was re-named ABC in 1961. The ABC closed as a cinema on 24th May 1978, and was converted into a bingo club, which operated during the summer holiday seasons until 1986.

It was taken over by an independent operator and re-opened as the Regal Cinema on 14th August 1987, using seating in the circle only. This was a short lived venture, as the cinema closed for good in November 1987.

It was demolished in April 1989. An office block named Regal House was built on the site, which contains a Job Centre Plus.

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