Palace Cinema
19-20 Market Place,
Devizes,
SN10 1JQ
19-20 Market Place,
Devizes,
SN10 1JQ
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Thanks for adding the pictures of the interior From the design characteristics I strongly believe that The Palace was designed by Earnest Roberts of Satchwell and Roberts who also did the Regal in the town. There are still over 20 cinemas of their work not accounted for.
It isn’t open just yet, still renovating.
Great to see photos of the open day yesterday, so thanks Alan.
At the Open Heritage Day event on 16th September 2023, the owner said it would definitely re-open within a year. The old screen (not the original) in front of the balcony has been removed. There will be luxury seating in the balcony and normal seating in the stalls with the screen restored to the proscenium. A new projection room was being constructed at the back of the stalls. Many features have been retained or restored.
The stage will be available for live stage productions. I spoke to one of the staff who said the new owner had retained many of the former staff. I forgot to ask if they were helping with restoration!
News article about the still on-going renovation (chunks of which seems to be directly taken from this site’s blurb), which details the extensions and alterations inside and planned. The plan is to convert the site into a shared cinema/theatre space. https://www.wiltshirelive.co.uk/news/wiltshire-news/palace-cinema-devizes-redevelopment-plans-6858377
Currently closed, undergoing restorations to return the interior to original décor, although it doesn’t seem like much was going on when I visited.
John Angel still owns the cinema
Hmm.. I know those Projectors… They had been in my stores. Is John Angel still involved..
Delighted to read that this cinema is still open. While serving at nearby RAF Upavon I went along to this cinema several times in 1977/78 to see the then popular movies Saturday Night Fever and Grease, the WRAF I took along loved both movies so much we went to see each one twice, the romantic type she was.
From memory the cinema in the former circle/balcony was a good conversion, back then the cinema was more popular than the bingo due to the popularity that both movies received in the UK. The screen was a fair size so I imagine it would have been the original? Utilised after conversion of bingo in the former stalls area of the auditorium.
A night-time view of the Palace Cinema, photographed in November 2006:
http://flickr.com/photos/avtost/307953689/