The Palace Theatre is a Grade II listed theatre in

Redditch Redditch is a town, and local government district, in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district has a population of 85,000 as of 2019. In the 19th century, it became the international centre for the ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

, England. It opened in 1913 and has been primarily used as a theatre, but also as a cinema, rollerskating rink and bingo hall.

History

The theatre opened in 1913, with a capacity of 660. It was designed by Bertie Crewe with a Neo-classical interior. The theatre was split into a circular balcony with stalls above. In 1939, the theatre closed at the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, but quickly re-opened. It closed in 1954 and was redeveloped as a rollerskating rink, opening the following year. It was used as a dance hall from 1959, and subsequently as a

bingo hall Bingo is a game of probability in which players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the winner being the first person to mark off all their numbers. Bingo, also previously known in the UK as Housey-Housey, ...

. The premises were acquired by Redditch Urban District Council in 1967. The building was later modified. The premises re-opened exclusively as a theatre on 11 September 1971 by the

Secretary of State for the Environment The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment (DoE). This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of T ...

, Peter Walker. An extension on the south east side housing a new foyer opened the same year, while a former factory at the back of the theatre was converted into a set of dressing rooms in 1976. Since 1985, the building has been run by

Redditch Borough Council Redditch Borough Council is the local authority covering the non-metropolitan district centred on the town of Redditch. History The town of Redditch was governed by a local board of health from 1858 until 1894, when such local boards were re ...

. It was Grade II listed in 1996. In 2005, the theatre was restored to its original state. Funds and grants were provided by Redditch Borough Council (£3M), and £920,500 as part of a £4 million scheme from The

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

(HLF). The theatre's original seats have been retained and reupholstered.

Performances

The Palace building was initially used for a variety of uses, including theatre and cinema. In 1930, it became known as the Palace Super Cinema. After re-opened in 1940, focusing again on a mix of cinema and variety. Since 1971 it has been used exclusively as a theatre. The theatre hosts a programme of touring

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

, and an annual

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

and since 1971 has been the home base of the Redditch Operatic Society.

References

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External links

Arts in Redditch
Theatres in Worcestershire Redditch Grade II listed buildings in Worcestershire Grade II listed theatres 1913 establishments in England