Astoria Ayr

The Odeon opened on 30th July 1938 with Ronald Colman in "The Prisoner of Zenda". It was built for and operated by the Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd.

The facade is dominated by a centrally placed square tower which is covered in cream tiles. Inside the auditorium, seating was provided for 1,732 (1,303 in the stalls and 429 in the circle). The Art Deco style was rather plain, with a stepped ceiling containing square shaped laylights, and three horizontal bands along the side-walls. On the splay walls each side of the proscenium opening was a ‘U’ shaped plaster feature. In its later years as a single screen, the splay walls were curtained over.

The Odeon was converted into a triple screen cinema from 19th July 1987, with 433 seats in the former balcony, still using the original proscenium and projection booth, and two 138 seat cinemas located beneath the balcony in the rear stalls. On 13th April 1990 a fourth screen was added in the former front stalls area seating 449. The former balcony screen had a new screen installed in its front section and the seating capacity was reduced down to 386.

The final seating capacities in the screens were: 386, 168, 133 and 455.

It was announced on 5th May 2023 that the Odeon would close on 5th June 2023. It has been purchased by a new operator Merlin Cinemas who following renovations reopened the cinema as the Astoria Ayr on 29th March 2024. South Ayrshire Council has approved a grant of £70,000 for the refurbishment of the exterior of the cinema which has revealed original historic tiles.

Recent comments (view all 3 comments)

Ken Roe on January 28, 2009 at 1:01 pm

A vintage view of the Odeon in the 1950’s:
http://flickr.com/photos/kevp/2974750256/
The same 1950’s full postcard view:
http://flickr.com/photos/kevp/2974750254/
Another postcard view, in colour, showing a side view from the early 1950’s:
http://flickr.com/photos/kevp/2952298205/
A close-up photograph of the entrance to the Odeon in December 1967:
http://www.mawgrim.co.uk/cavalcade/ayr.jpg

arkay on February 6, 2017 at 9:15 am

this building is still there i visited it back in 1971 as i sa w the Disney film Million Dollar Duck. yours Bob Kincaid

50sSNIPES on November 10, 2023 at 8:39 am

Actually, the fourth screen was added on April 13, 1990.