Alhambra Theatre

The Theatre Royal was constructed as a wooden theatre, built in the 1860’s by the travelling theatre company Bennett & Patch. Around 1881 it was renamed Alhambra Theatre. At the turn of the century, it was taken over by Douglas Phelps, and up to the beginning of World War I in 1914 it presented opera, melodrama, musical comedy, and variety shows. In October 1904 a week of films presented on the Ediscope & Barnums Electric Animated Pictures was presented. In the autumn of 1909 films were being screened using Phelps Alhambrascope and in 1910 after being granted a Cinematograph Licence, it was operating as Phelps Electric Theatre. Films continued to be the main attraction by August 1912.

After the end of World War I in 1918 films were rarely screened as the Alhambra Theatre concentrated on live theatre productions.

In 1922, a projection box was installed on the stage and using rear projection, films returned to the Alhambra Theatre, but were last screened in 1923, when the theatre was taken over by George Ray and went back to live theatre use. The Alhambra Theatre was condemned and had its last show on 6th April 1929. It was demolished in spring of 1932.

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