Regent Cinema

The Regent Theatre was built as a cine-variety house and opened in 1913 having being designed by Francis Burdett Ward. In August 1916 it became a full-time cinema. It has an elaborately decorated auditorium containing a large stalls seating area, single balcony and two bulbous boxes on each side. The whole auditorium is richly embellished with fibrous plasterwork . The proscenium arch is marble flanked and the stage was relatively deep for such a dual-purpose building. The ornate decoration extends through into the foyer areas which were altered in 1935 when it was operated by the Eastern Counties Cinemas Ltd. chain, who also had their head office in the building. It seated 1,000. It was operated by Shipman & King from around 1959.

Despite the generous stage, the Regent Theatre was mostly operated as a cinema until closure on 6th September 1975 when it became an EMI Bingo Club. This too has closed and the Regent is now a large bar, now known as the Chicago Rock Café, it thankfully retains the auditorium decorations intact. The foyer has been extensively altered and also functions as a bar. It is a Grade II Listed building.

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