This was the Dalston Picture Playhouse of 1914, initial plans had an entrance on Ridley Rd but final plans had a full entrance onto the High Street, it seated 485 people with stalls and circle, it was a long tall and narrow building (purpose built) with a barrel vaulted ceiling, it stood on roughly the footprint of the current Poundland store which is a new building from when the whole area was redeveloped into the Kingsland Shopping Centre.
It didn’t seem to have much success and its licence lapsed in 1916, and by 1920 when a Mr Odell applied to reopen it he found the cost of repairs too heavy and it never operated as a cinema again.
Its architect was Ernest Cannell.
Quite a grand frontage, the building is now a very large bar called Farrs Dance School the interior of which dates back to the time of the cinema, although no trace remains inside but the frontage looks like it was replaced in the 40’s/50’s
I remember being taken to Christmas pantomimes here as a child in the early 70’s, even at a young age i recall its austere interior, a cold tiled passage to the auditorium and hard seats.
As a teen i came to gigs here when it was in a right state, the bar in the former pub next door was a feast of button back leatherette and flock wallpaper. I don’t know which band finished it off but it closed after one particularly riotous gig where the seats were ripped out and thrown on stage.
It sat for many years in a derelict state (when i took the two colour photos (around 1983 ish) and it was no surprise it was eventually demolished for parking for the nearby city shops
the leaded glass ceiling from the lobby/restaurant was rescued from the demolition and is now installed in the Bonneville Pub, Lower Clapton Rd, Hackney
The stalls area now operates as a function space called epic, no decoration remains in view but you can see the line of the front of the balcony in the new ceiling
This was the Dalston Picture Playhouse of 1914, initial plans had an entrance on Ridley Rd but final plans had a full entrance onto the High Street, it seated 485 people with stalls and circle, it was a long tall and narrow building (purpose built) with a barrel vaulted ceiling, it stood on roughly the footprint of the current Poundland store which is a new building from when the whole area was redeveloped into the Kingsland Shopping Centre. It didn’t seem to have much success and its licence lapsed in 1916, and by 1920 when a Mr Odell applied to reopen it he found the cost of repairs too heavy and it never operated as a cinema again. Its architect was Ernest Cannell.
This cinema was an early design by W.E Trent
Quite a grand frontage, the building is now a very large bar called Farrs Dance School the interior of which dates back to the time of the cinema, although no trace remains inside but the frontage looks like it was replaced in the 40’s/50’s
one of three cinema buildings threatened with demolition for Crossrail 2, along with Curzon Soho and Vue Wood Green
When the Ace closed, its cinema cat “Queenie” moved a few doors down the road and was adopted by the Rio Cinema
in 2015 in use for legit theatre as the Teatro Gongora
I remember being taken to Christmas pantomimes here as a child in the early 70’s, even at a young age i recall its austere interior, a cold tiled passage to the auditorium and hard seats. As a teen i came to gigs here when it was in a right state, the bar in the former pub next door was a feast of button back leatherette and flock wallpaper. I don’t know which band finished it off but it closed after one particularly riotous gig where the seats were ripped out and thrown on stage. It sat for many years in a derelict state (when i took the two colour photos (around 1983 ish) and it was no surprise it was eventually demolished for parking for the nearby city shops
now a huge and ugly steel building marks the spot, home of a big Zara store
closed in 2014 and still derelict Nov 2015 – see photo
sadly closed in 2013 and still derelict Nov 2015
closed for “renovation” March 2015 and still closed in November with no sign of any work being done
sadly closed in 2015 and in the process of being demolished Nov 2015 – see photos, far too valuable a prime piece of land
the leaded glass ceiling from the lobby/restaurant was rescued from the demolition and is now installed in the Bonneville Pub, Lower Clapton Rd, Hackney
Closing today as Mecca Bingo
Future uncertain, very likely demolition for housing
closed when visited May 2015, currently used as a flea market, seats gone but screen still in place
The stalls area now operates as a function space called epic, no decoration remains in view but you can see the line of the front of the balcony in the new ceiling
getting a battleship grey make-over while the Odeon West End is being demolished