Cliffs Pavilion (locally known as the Cliffs) is a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

, sports, exhibition and concert venue located on Station Road in

Westcliff-on-Sea Westcliff-on-Sea (previously known as Milton, often abbreviated to Westcliff, and in the past spelt as Westcliffe-on-Sea) is a suburb of the city of Southend-on-Sea, located within the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is on the north sh ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, a suburb within the city of

Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in south-eastern Essex, England. It lies on the nor ...

. It is the largest purpose-built arts venue in Essex, and the largest capacity of any theatre in the

East of England East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sunrise, Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact ...

. In 2006, the operation of Cliffs Pavilion, along with the Palace Theatre, were handed to HQ Theatres by

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Southend-on-Sea City Council is the local authority of the city of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. Southend has had an elected local authority since 1866, which has been reformed several times. Since 1998 the council ...

. HQ Theatres merged with

Trafalgar Entertainment Trafalgar Entertainment is a British multinational entertainment group co-founded in 2017 by Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire after they stepped down from running Ambassador Theatre Group. Based in London, UK, the company primarily f ...

in 2021. In February 2022, the Cliffs played host to ''He Built This City concert'', a tribute to the murdered MP for Southend West Sir David Amess.

The buildings history

Early history

Plans for a theatre, the Shorefield Pavilion, on the site started in 1935 when the borough council purchased the location to build a 500-seat theatre and concert venue, with work starting four years later on construction but was suspended by the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After the war, the site was known as Southend's white elephant, with the site laying empty due to budget constraints, until 1963, when work was started on a building that could host shows, concerts and private functions. The building was designed by the borough architect Patrick Burridge, who also designed Southend Civic Centre. The 1,100 capacity theatre was opened by the actor, writer and director Sir Bernard Miles in July 1964, with the first show opening the next day starring Norman Vaughan and his troupe of dancers, the Swinging Lovelies. The hexagonal sunken forecourt that was at the front of the theatre (prior to the 2024/25 refurbishment) followed the line of the pre-war foundations. The theatre won a commendation at the ''Come to Britain'' awards held by the British Travel & Holiday Association in the same year. The Cliffs was the venue for the annual ''Southend-on-Sea Festival of Music and the Arts''. In April 1974, extra seating that had been purchased for the summer season and stored in the underground car park under tarpaulin, caught fire, however the building was not damaged. Statue at Cliffs Pavilion Southend

1990s redevelopment and 2000s refurbishment

From July 1991 to December 1992, the building was closed to be re-developed and enlarged, with funding from Southend Borough Council and was designed by Tim Foster Architects. The stairs were rebuilt, a new Foyer Bar added and a balcony added to the auditorium increasing the capacity to 1,630. The new extension was completed in an Art Deco style. The total cost for the redevelopment was £3.4 million. The theatre re-opened with the pantomime ''The Pied Piper of Hamelin'' starring

Wayne Sleep Wayne Philip Colin Sleep (born 17 July 1948) is a British dancer, director, choreographer, and actor who appeared on the BBC series '' The Real Marigold on Tour'' and ITV's '' The Real Full Monty''. Early life Wayne Sleep was born in Plymou ...

, Peggy Mount and Richard Marner. The refurbished Cliffs Pavilion received a Civic Design Award in 1993. In 1998, the

Arts Council An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...

allocated £850,000 of

Lottery A lottery (or lotto) is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find som ...

cash to Southend Borough Council to investigate a £20 million stage 2 redevelopment. The plans included building a new raked seating stall area, reducing the capacity to 1,601 seats, and a new stage house with dimensions for the stage and fly tower meeting the minimum requirements for major touring companies - an increase in the maximum height from 19 metres to 29 metres. The council brought in Levitt Bernstein Associates to oversee the design, however in 1999 the bid for £12 million of Lottery funding from the Arts Council was overlooked and stage 2 of the redevelopment was withdrawn. In 2010, the Cliffs was closed for seven weeks while a refurbishment took place. The theatre's 1,630 seats that had been in the venue since the 1991-92 redevelopment were replaced, while the carpets in the Foyer were changed.

Pavilion refurbishment 2024-2025

It was announced in November 2021 that the operator, Trafalgar Theatres and owner, Southend-on-Sea City Council had applied for planning permission for a major refurbishment of the Cliffs Pavilion costing £8 million, with £5.5 million provided by the UK government through the Levelling Up fund. The plan would see extensive improvements, with a major expansion of the restaurant, a new entrance and lobby to improve the customer experience, an upgraded ventilation system, a new outdoor piazza, bars, toilets, changing facilities and lifts. The redevelopment was due to begin in early 2024, with the building works to be completed by contractor Willmott Dixon, and were planned to take a year to complete. The Cliffs managers said the venue would remain open throughout the refurbishments. However, by February 2024, it was announced that there would be a delay to the start of the refurbishment works as the price had risen above the original cost. It was announced in August 2024 that work was due to start later that month, with Auburn Group awarded the contract after a recommissioning of the tender process. Work officially started on the 22 August.

Maritime Room

The Maritime Room is a smaller venue than the main theatre, and is located on the lower level. The venue was originally opened as a restaurant, but after a short trial negotiated by local musician Peter Morris, the venue was used for

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

music events, before expanding into

country and western A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, or d ...

. From 1986 until 2014, the venue was home to the Joker Comedy Club, and it was at the club that local boy Lee Evans started his comedy career. The club hosted

Frank Skinner Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), known professionally as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...

Stewart Lee Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, and deadpan delivery. Lee began his career in 1989 and formed the comedy duo Lee and Herring with Richard ...

and Bob Mills among others. Jazz remains a staple, with both the Jazz Mix and Open Mic club nights taking place at the venue. The venue is currently home to the Balls Out Comedy Club as well as Tropicana 80s nights. Cliffs Pavilion - geograph

Performances at the Cliffs

The Cliffs has been the venue for a mixture of music, variety and theatrical shows, hosting some of the biggest names in entertainment since it opened in 1964. Here is a selection of notable performances: *

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

appeared in February 1967 at the Grand Pop Festival, though the top of the bill was

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich are an English rock band active during the 1960s. Formed in Salisbury in 1964, the band consisted of David Harman (Dave Dee), Trevor Ward-Davies (Dozy), John Dymond (Beaky), Michael Wilson (Mick) and Ian Ame ...

. *On 19 July 1991,

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

performed one of his six "secret" shows at the Pavilion during his 1991 Unplugged Summer Tour. *The

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment concert film A concert film or concert movie is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert, by either a musician or a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian. Ea ...

''Live By The Sea'' was filmed at the Cliffs Pavilion during their performance on 17 April 1995. Tony McCarroll recalled in his book, ''Oasis. The Truth'' that ''"nobody had told him they were filming that night, but luckily they had a storming gig"''. *In 2003, the last show of the Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour was performed and recorded for VHS and DVD at the Cliffs. It was the final time that Rik Mayall and

Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. Part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s, he and his comedy partner Rik Mayall starred in the television sitc ...

played their characters Richie and Eddie. *The track " Beetlebum" from Blur's ''Live 2009'' CD was recorded at the Cliff's Pavilion on 21 June 2009, a warmup gig to their reunion sets at

Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...

and

Hyde Park, London Hyde Park is a , historic Listed building#Heritage protection, Grade I-listed urban park in Westminster, Greater London. A Royal Parks of London, Royal Park, it is the largest of the parks and green spaces that form a chain from Kensington P ...

(the CD was given away free with

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

). * Micky Flanagan performed at the Cliffs in May 2011, which was recorded for his DVD ''The Out Out Tour''. Flanagan opened the show saying, ''"The tour people, they asked me. They said, Mick, where do you want to go for the DVD. Do you want to go East? Do you want to go West? And I said I want to go to Essex! The only way is Essex!"''. *After the closure for the COVID pandemic,

Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is an Irish-British comedian, presenter, writer and actor. He is known for his rapid-fire deadpan delivery of One-line joke, one-liners. He began his comedy career in 1997, and he has regula ...

filmed his

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

special ''His Dark Material'' as the first show at the re-opened venue.

Annual pantomime

The Cliffs hosts an annual

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

with a big name celebrity cast, including

Nick Berry Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as Constable, PC Nick Rowan in ''Heartbeat (British TV series), Heartbeat'' f ...

and

Melvyn Hayes Melvyn Hayes ('' né'' Hyams; born 11 January 1935) is an English actor and voice-over performer. He is best known for playing the effeminate Gunner (later Bombardier) "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', for ...

in 1988,

Timmy Mallett Timmy Mallett (born 18 October 1955) is an English television presenter, broadcaster, author and artist. He is known for his striking visual style, colourful glasses and shirts, and a giant pink foam mallet (known as "Mallett's Mallet"), as we ...

John Virgo John Trevor Virgo (born 4 March 1946) is an English snooker commentator and former professional snooker player. After turning professional in 1976, Virgo won four professional titles, including the 1979 UK Championship, the 1980 Bombay Int ...

and Anne Nolan in 1993, and

Melinda Messenger Melinda Jane Messenger (born 23 February 1971) is an English television presenter and former glamour photography, glamour model and Page Three girl. She presented the magazine programme ''Live from Studio Five'' and was formerly the co-Televisio ...

Jonathon Morris Jonathon Morris is a former British actor and television presenter. Career Jonathon Morris' first professional theatre appearance was playing the title role in Old King Cole, written by Ken Campbell, alongside Sir Daniel Day-Lewis at the Old ...

, Patrick Mower and

Little and Large ''Little and Large'' were a British comedy double act comprising straight man Syd Little (born Cyril John Mead; 19 December 1942) and comic Eddie Large (born Edward Hugh McGinnis; 25 June 1941 – 2 April 2020). Comedy duo They formed their pa ...

in 1997. In 2018,

Diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...

were the celebrity performers for the production of ''Aladdin'' and won the Best speciality/double act at the 2019 Great British Pantomime Awards.

Rylan Clark Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), commonly known as Rylan Clark, is an English broadcaster and television personality. He came to prominence as a contestant on the The X Factor (British series 9), ninth series of the television talent s ...

starred in the 2024 production of Jack and the Beanstalk, and was nominated for Best Newcomer at The Pantomime Awards 2025. Rylan was confirmed as returning in the 2025 panto Cinderella. Pantomimes since 1983 have included: *1983 ''Dick Whittington'' - Davy Jones,

Bryan Marshall Bryan Marshall (19 May 1938 – 25 June 2019) was a British actor, with a number of major credits in film and television to his name, in both Britain and Australia. Early life Marshall was born in Battersea, south London. He was educated at th ...

and Denise Nolan *1984 ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' - Ken Goodwin *1985 ''Aladdin'' - Johnny Ball, Leni Harper and

Glynn Edwards John Glynn Edwards (2 February 1931 – 23 May 2018) was a British actor who worked in television and films. He came to national prominence for his portrayal of the barman Dave Harris in the television comedy drama series '' Minder'' (1979—19 ...

*1986 ''The Pied Piper of Hamelin'' - Vince Hill,

and Jack Douglas *1987 ''Cinderella'' - Mike Reid,

Helen Shapiro Helen Kate Shapiro (born 28 September 1946) is a British Pop music, pop and jazz singer and actress. While still a teenager in the early 1960s, she was one of Britain's most successful female singers. With a voice described by AllMusic as poss ...

, Jeff Stevenson,

Ann Beach Ann Beach (7 June 1938 – 9 March 2017) was a British actress. She is perhaps best remembered for her supporting role as Sonia Barrett, the quirky next-door neighbour on the comedy ''Fresh Fields'', starring Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers. ...

and Alison Bettles *1988 ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' -

and

*1989 ''Dick Whittington'' -

Suzi Quatro Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of singles that found success in Europe and Australia, with both "Can the Can" (1973) and "Devil Gate Drive" ...

, Ted Rogers, Alfred Marks and Linal Haft *1990 ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' - Keith Harris,

Hugo Myatt Hugo Myatt (born 13 September 1945) is a British actor, presenter and theatre director, best known for his role as the dungeon master Treguard in the children's game show '' Knightmare''. ''Knightmare'' Myatt played the role of Treguard of D ...

, Denise Nolan and Cornelia Frances *1992 ''The Pied Piper of Hamelin'' -

, Peggy Mount and Richard Marner *1993 ''Cinderella'' -

Richard Cadell Richard Cadell (born 23 March 1969) is a British illusionist, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter, best known for being the in-vision presenter and the hand of puppet Sooty since succeeding Matthew Corbett in 1998. Biography In June 2008 (Sooty' ...

and Anne Nolan *1994 ''Dick Whittington'' - Bobby Davro, Rod Hull, Bernadette Hunt,

Garry Bushell Garry Bushell (born 13 May 1955) is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney Oi! bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York C ...

and

Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. His other roles include Graham Lodsworth in ''Emmerdale'' and ...

*1995 ''Peter Pan'' - Joe Pasquale, Michaela Strachan and

Leslie Grantham Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor who played "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germany, West German ...

*1996 ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' - Linda Lusardi,

Dave Benson Phillips Dave Benson Phillips (born 3 February 1965) is a British entertainer, comic, children's television presenter and wrestler. He has presented '' Playhouse Disney'' (1998–2006), '' Fun Song Factory'' (1994–1999), and the CBBC game show '' Get ...

, Geoff Capes, Kenny Baker,

Malcolm Dixon Malcolm Dixon may refer to * Malcolm Dixon (biochemist) (1899–1985), English biochemist * Malcolm Dixon (actor) Malcolm Watson Dixon (1934 – 9 April 2020) was an English actor. He is known for having played the role of Strutter in the 198 ...

and Nikki Kelly *1997 ''Aladdin'' -

, Patrick Mower and

*1998 ''Cinderella'' - Bobby Davro, Bob Carolgees,

Bella Emberg Bella Emberg (born Sybil Dyke; 16 September 1937 – 12 January 2018) was an English actress whose television career spanned 60 years. Early life and career Emberg was born on 16 September 1937 in Brighton, Sussex, and grew up wanting to be an ...

Sue Hodge Sue Hodge (born 4 June 1957) is an English actress, best known for her role as the waitress Mimi Labonq in the BBC sitcom Allo 'Allo!''. Trained as a dancer and theatre performer at Bird College, she has performed in theatre and on televisi ...

Kerry Ellis Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...

and

Ray Meagher Raymond Francis Meagher (born 4 July 1944) is an Australian actor, who has appeared in Australian film and television since the mid-1970s. He is notable as the longest continuing performer in an Australian television role, portraying Alf Ste ...

*1999 ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' - John Inman, Glen Murphy and Suzanne Cox *2000 ''Peter Pan'' - Shane Richie and Jeremy Spake *2001 ''Dick Whittington'' - Hale and Pace and Clive Rowe *2002 ''Goldilocks and the 3 Bears'' -

Frank Bruno Franklin Roy Bruno (born 16 November 1961) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1996. He held the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title from 1995 to 1996. At regional level, he held the European heavyweight ...

Sooty Sooty is a British children's television media franchise created by Harry Corbett incorporating primarily television and stage shows. The franchise originated with his fictional glove puppet character introduced to television in '' The Sooty ...

and Sophie Lawrence *2003 ''Cinderella'' - Chuckle Brothers and Dr Evadne Hinge *2004 ''Peter Pan'' -

Russ Abbot Russell Allan Abbot (born Russell Allan Roberts; 18 September 1947) is an English musician, actor and comedian. Born in Chester, he first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedy showband the Black A ...

*2005 ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' - Linda Lusardi, Samuel Kane and Gary Beadle *2006 ''Dick Whittington'' - Cannon and Ball,

Paul Nicholas Paul Nicholas (born Paul Oscar Beuselinck; 3 December 1944) is an English actor and singer best known for starring as Vince Pinner in the BBC television sitcom '' Just Good Friends'' (1983—86). The show won a BAFTA and Nicholas was nominated ...

and Ben Richards *2007 ''Cinderella'' - Joe Pasquale *2008 ''Aladdin'' - Chuckle Brothers,

Robin Askwith Robin Mark Askwith (born 12 October 1950) is an English actor and singer who has appeared in a number of film, television and stage productions. Making his film debut as Keating in the film '' if....'' (1968), a role he would reprise in '' Brit ...

*2009 ''Cinderella'' -

Brian Conley Brian Paul Conley (born 7 August 1961) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Conley has been the host of '' The Brian Conley Show'', as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. In his 40+ ...

*2010 ''Peter Pan'' - Bradley Walsh *2011 ''Aladdin'' - Shane Richie *2012 ''Cinderella'' - Shane Richie *2013 ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' - Craig Revel Horwood and Lisa Riley, Paul Burling *2014 ''Peter Pan'' -

David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on the soap ...

and Christopher Biggins'''' *2015 ''Cinderella'' -

and

Lesley Joseph Lesley Diana Joseph (born 14 October 1945) is an English actress and broadcaster, whose career on stage and screen spans over fifty years. She is best known for playing Dorien Green in the television sitcom ''Birds of a Feather (TV series), Bir ...

*2016 ''Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates'' -

and Gok Wan *2017 ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' - Lee Mead, Bobby Davro,

Stacey Solomon Stacey Chanelle Clare Solomon (born 4 October 1989) is an English television personality and singer. In 2009, she was a contestant on the sixth series of the ITV talent show ''The X Factor'', in which she finished in third place. The followin ...

*2018 ''Aladdin'' -

*2019 ''Robin Hood and the Merry Men'' -

*2021 ''Cinderella'' -

*2022 ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' -

, Myra DuBois, Pete Firman *2023 ''Peter Pan'' - Joe Pasquale and Rob Rinder *2024 ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' -

He Built This City concert

On 13 February 2022, the Cliffs was the venue for the ''He Built This City'', a concert held in honour of murdered

Southend West Southend West and Leigh is a Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament. In the 2024 United Kingdom ...

MP Sir David Amess and part of week of celebrations held in Southend-on-Sea which culminated in Charles, Prince of Wales, officially granting the borough city status. The concert included performers such as

Digby Fairweather Richard John Charles "Digby" Fairweather (born 25 April 1946) is a British jazz trumpeter, author and broadcaster. Biography Before becoming a professional musician, Fairweather was a librarian and has retained an interest in jazz bibliography ...

, Lee Mead, the Music Man Project and Leanne Jarvis.

The BBC at the Cliffs

The

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

have completed live broadcasts or played recorded shows from the Cliffs over the years, including a special Silver Jubilee programme celebrating the first 25 years of the venue called ''Happy Anniversary!'' on 22 April 1989. Other shows have included: * Big Band Special * Friday Night is Music Night *

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. The ...

concerts *

I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'' is a BBC radio comedy panel game. Billed as "the antidote to panel games", it consists of two teams of two comedians being given "silly things to do" by the host. The show was launched in April 1972 as a parody of ...

*Saturday Night is Gala Night *Vienna-City of Song *Treble Chance

Sport at the Cliffs

The Cliffs, in addition to shows, comedy and music performances has hosted a variety of sporting events. *The first televised professional wrestling event shown by the BBC came from the Cliffs on the 4 January 1965 featuring Mike Marino, the World Mid-Heavyweight Champion v Harlem Jimmy Brown from the U.S.A. The venue would continue to host wrestling. *Boxing was previously a regular event at the Cliffs, including the 9 June 1971 Jack Solomons promotion featuring Dan McAlinden v Roberto Davila that was shown on the

, and the 1987 Terry Lawless/

Matchroom Sport Matchroom Sport is a UK-based sporting event promotions company founded by Barry Hearn and run by him and his son Eddie Hearn. It first came to attention in the sports of snooker and boxing and is also involved in pool (cue sports), pool, bowl ...

promotion featuring Gary Mason v Andre van den Oetelaar. *The

World Darts Federation The World Darts Federation (WDF) is a sport governing body and (along with the PDC) a tournament organiser for the game of darts Darts is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-poin ...

hosted the 1982 WDF Europe Cup at the Cliffs, with the men's singles won by

Bobby George Robert Francis George (born 16 December 1945) is an English television presenter and former professional darts player. He is widely recognised as one of the game's biggest personalities, known for his flamboyant entrances in which the "King o ...

, the women's singles by Sandra Gibb-Lee, the men's pairs by Stefan Lord and Bjørn Enqvist, while the women's pairs were won by Charlotte Eriksson and Carina Sahlberg. *In

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

and 1988, the Cliffs was the venue for the invitation only snooker event, the Matchroom Professional Championship.

Party conferences and exhibitions

The Cliffs has hosted several political party conferences, with the National Conference of Labour Women taking place in 1967, while in 1993 it hosted the Young Conservatives annual conference. The venue hosts a regular variety of exhibitions, from the Southend Art Club, career fairs to awards evenings.

References

External links

Cliffs Pavilion on TheatricaliaCliffs Pavilion on Southend Theatres
{{Coord, 51.5352, 0.6969, display=t, type:landmark Art Deco architecture in England Buildings and structures completed in 1964 Buildings and structures in Southend-on-Sea Theatres in Essex Darts venues Snooker venues Boxing venues in the United Kingdom Wrestling venues in the United Kingdom Music venues in Essex Exhibition and conference centres in England Theatres completed in 1964 Music venues completed in 1964 Comedy clubs in the United Kingdom