The Plaza is a

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

art deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

single-screen

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

and

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 ...

Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester. ...

, England. It opened in 1932, its construction having involved the excavation of the sandstone cliff behind it. After an initial closure in 1966 and a subsequent period in use 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, previously known as Housey-Housey, became increas ...

Rank Leisure The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation) is a British entertainment conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the Unit ...

, it has now been restored as a cinema and theatre, showing films and staging live shows.

Building

The building was designed in 1929 by William Thornley and constructed in 1932–33. It is in the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

style, and is of brick, with much internal structural steelwork, and with its front elevation clad in

faience Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white Ceramic glaze, pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an stannous oxide, oxide of tin to the Slip (c ...

, a glazed architectural terracotta. It contains a double-height auditorium with a gallery and small stage. The auditorium is decorated with vaguely Greek and Egyptian plasterwork and mouldings, including a broad

proscenium A proscenium (, ) is the virtual vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame ...

arch,

pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

s with Corinthian capitals, and

frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...

s of dancing maidens and musical instruments. Many motifs were derived directly from the 1925 Paris Exhibition of Decorative Arts. These features were enhanced by a sophisticated concealed

Holophane Holophane, a division of Acuity Brands, is a manufacturer of lighting-related products founded in 1898 in London, England. The company is a UK-based (Milton Keynes, England) and US manufacturer (based in Newark, Ohio) of lighting fixtures for ...

lighting system, fragments of which survive. It had an original seating capacity of around 1,873, and in its restored state has 614 seats in the stalls, 318 in the front circle and 254 in the rear circle (the balcony). There is also a foyer with a long, first-floor restaurant above, overlooking Mersey Square. It was listed in 1997 at Grade II* by

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

. It is described as a "remarkably lavish exercise in the Art Deco style", and an "exceptionally complete example of a 1930s 'super' cinema, which survives little altered and retains its Compton organ".

Compton theatre organ

The Plaza's original organ is still in situ. It was built by the John Compton Organ Company and was ready in time for the opening of the cinema on 6 October 1932. It was the first Compton

theatre organ A theatre organ (also known as a theater organ, or, especially in the United Kingdom, a cinema organ) is a type of pipe organ developed to accompany silent films from the 1900s to the 1920s. Theatre organs have horseshoe-shaped arrangements of ...

to be built with sunburst decorative glass panels, which can be illuminated in a range of colours, and is now one of the very few that remains in its original location. The Compton organ is a three- manual instrument with a unique 150 stop tab layout which was designed for the Plaza by

Norman Cocker Norman Cocker (30 November 1889 — 15 November 1953) was a British organist, choir master and composer of church music, educational and light music. Cocker was born in Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire, England, and became a chorister at Magdalen Colleg ...

, the resident organist from

Manchester Cathedral Manchester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, in Manchester, England, is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Manchester, seat of the Bishop of Manchester and the c ...

, and Arthur Ward, one of the original Directors of the Plaza. It has in addition 42 toe and thumb pistons. There are 11 ranks of pipes contained in two chambers, one over the other to the right of the stage. These are concealed behind the decorative grille in the wall. There is no electric amplification, as the sound is produced acoustically straight from the organ pipes. The console is on a lift so that it can rise out of the floor, adding to the theatrical effect. As there is no amplification the organist controls the volume using swell pedals that operate shutters in the grille. It was played before shows, and during silent movies,

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...

s and musical interludes between films. The organ can supply a large range of effects from sleigh bells to aircraft and sea sounds.

History

Early history

The first plans for a cinema on this site were made speculatively by William Thornley in 1929. It was a conservative scheme that incorporated a motor garage, a billiard hall, and a restaurant all above a 1,600-seat cinema. Thornley, an architect originating from

Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...

who had trained with

Bradshaw Gass & Hope Bradshaw Gass & Hope is an English architect, architectural practice founded in 1862 by Jonas James Bradshaw (–1912). It is Bolton's oldest architectural practice and has exhibited archive drawings in London and Manchester. The style "Bradshaw ...

, was experienced in designing small-scale

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

cinemas. Directors of the Ambassador cinema circuit, Fred Read, Alfred Snape and Arthur Ward had just opened the 1,850 seat Regal Cinema away in Manchester Road,

Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester, southwest of Sale, Greater Manchester, Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2021 United Kingdom ce ...

, were looking for a site in central Stockport in 1931. They evaluated Thornley's speculative scheme but rejected his original design. As a condition of buying the site on Mersey Square to develop, they commissioned him to adapt the plans for the Regal Altrincham - which was designed by Drury & Gomersall and described as the 'Cathedral of the Movies' - for the smaller and more restricted Stockport site without reducing the seating capacity for 1,850 patrons. Although he was uncredited due to part of the sale contract, Joseph Gomersall from the Regal's design team is responsible for the interior design rather than Thornley. He had travelled around Europe to sample the latest architectural trends and had a professional background in theatre design. A row of cottages previously occupying the site were purchased and demolished. A set of limestone steps was then built to connect Mersey Square with the higher-level Lawrence Street, which are now known as The Plaza Steps. 10,000 tonnes of sandstone was excavated to a depth of to create The Plaza and the adjacent steps, leaving the building partially underground and secured by 111

rock bolt A rock bolt is a long anchor bolt, for stabilizing rock excavations, which may be used in tunnels or rock cuts. It transfers load from the unstable exterior to the confined (and much stronger) interior of the rock mass. Rock bolts were first u ...

s. The Plaza was welcomed by the local cinemagoers but opposed by the local business community, unhappy about the use of labourers from elsewhere while the town was still suffering from the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. Technically the cinema had all the latest equipment; the projectors that could project silent and sound stock, and a

Compton organ John Haywood Compton (1876–1957) was an English pipe organ builder. His business based in Nottingham and London flourished between 1902 and 1965. Life John Compton was born in Newton Burgoland, Leicestershire, England on 20 June 1876. He wa ...

to be played during the silent news reels. It opened as a

cine-variety Cine-variety is a form of entertainment with a mix of Music hall, variety acts performing in between the showing of films all for the price of one admission fee. It was popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland between 1900 and the 1930s. Cine-var ...

venue. The Plaza first opened its doors to the public on 7 October 1932, with a charity show for Stockport Infirmary. As soon as the mid-1930s, cine-variety had ended and the Plaza shows assumed the familiar pattern of one feature film and a supporting

B movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

. The Plaza attracted competition and by 1939 there were two further super cinemas in the town centre, and two in the suburbs. During

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 ...

(1939–1945), being cut into the rock face led to the Plaza being considered one of the safest to shelter during an air raid. After the war, despite audiences declining nationally, the Plaza was in the 1950s refurbished with the entertainment tax relief incentive, and diversified into

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

and 3D screenings. As well as screening films, it staged variety acts, hosted acrobatic troupes, offered stand-up comedy, concerts and during Christmas 1960, staged its first pantomime. However, audiences declined as the 1960s went on, during a period where TV ownership was ever increasing. In July 1965, the Plaza was sold to

Mecca Bingo Mecca Bingo (formerly called Top Rank) is a British operator of bingo clubs, with over 70 locations throughout the country. Mecca Bingo is owned by the Rank Group, which operates bingos, casinos and online gambling in Belgium, Spain and Britain. ...

for conversion into a bingo hall. The conversion to a bingo hall was refused by Stockport Borough Council planning committee; this ruling was then overturned by appeal to the government and Mecca proceeded with its plan. The Plaza’s final show was on 31 December 1966 and featured

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...

in '' Three on a Couch'' and

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated enli ...

in ''

The Texican ''The Texican'' is a 1966 American Techniscope Western film produced and written by John C. Champion and directed by Lesley Selander. It is a paella western remake of their 1948 film ''Panhandle'' adapted for the persona of Audie Murphy that ...

''. The bingo hall opened in February 1967. In the 1970s the first-floor café was converted into "Samantha's" nightclub but this later converted into extra bingo seating. By 1999,

The Rank Group The Rank Group plc is a gambling company based in the United Kingdom. Rank was involved in the cinema and motion picture industry until 2006, and continues to use the Gongman logo originally used by the Rank Organisation's film distribution su ...

, which had bought Mecca in 1990, decided to close the bingo venue at the Plaza. By the time of closure, it had been listed at Grade II was the last remaining building in the Borough of Stockport still capable of full-scale theatre and entertainment use. Following a local campaign, the building was sold in March 2000 to the Stockport Plaza Trust, a newly established charity which intended to bring back the former use of showing films and staging live shows.

Restoration

After the sale to the Stockport Plaza Trust, the group of volunteers initially raised over £3 million to put towards some early-stage restorations and the reopening of the Plaza for live shows and vintage film presentations. Its listing was upgraded to Grade II* in August 2000; the lobby, auditorium and café still feature original plasterwork in striking geometric designs along with original tiling, whilst previously lost features such as murals have either been restored or recreated. The first cinema show in December 2000 featured a performance of ''

42nd Street 42nd Street most commonly refers to: *42nd Street (Manhattan), a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan It may also refer to: *42nd Street (film), ''42nd Street'' (film), a 1933 American Warner Bros. musical film with lyri ...

'' (1933) which had been the first film shown at the Plaza in 1932. The Compton organ was found to be in working order, it was powered up and a performance of 1930s singalong music was given by Nigel Ogden. The Plaza was closed during 2009, and a £1.9 million restoration, funded by a

National Lottery National Lottery may refer to: *National Lottery (Ireland), the state lottery of Ireland *National Lottery (United Kingdom), the lottery franchise in the United Kingdom *South African National Lottery, established in 2000 *A number of countries con ...

grant took place. Volunteers restored the Plaza to its original 1932 configuration. The façade has been given a new name sign as well as red and green side panels, all constructed with neon lighting. 2017 saw the installation of new Art Deco seating for the whole auditorium, cast from the original designs.

Timeline

The Plaza was the final cinema constructed for the Ambassador Cinema Circuit (1926-1933), beginning with the Ambassador Super Cinema in Pendleton in 1928. This circuit also included the Kingsway Super Cinema in Levenshulme, the Heaton Park Cinema in Whitefield, the Carlton Super Cinema in Clayton, all built in 1929, and the Regal Super Cinema in Altrincham in 1931. Unfortunately, all of these cinemas have since been demolished, making the Plaza the last surviving cinema from the original Ambassador Circuit Owners were: Ambassador Circuit 1926–1933; Snape & Ward Circuit 1934–1955; G.B. Snape Circuit 1956–1965; Mecca Bingo 1965–1990; Rank Organisation 1990–1999; Stockport Plaza Trust 2000–present. ;Cinema 1929 (April): First scheme submitted to Stockport Corporation for the construction of Cinema, Mersey Square, Stockport 1931: Construction of the Regal Cinema, Altrincham, designed by Drury and Gomersall for the Ambassador Cinema Circuit 1932 (Oct): The Plaza Super Cinema opens in Stockport 1933 (Sept): Death of Fred Read, Chairman of the Ambassador Cinema Circuit 1934: Remaining Ambassador Circuit Directors, Alfred Snape and Arthur Ward assume control under the Snape & Ward Cinema Circuit 1936: Death of Director Arthur Ward, son Harold succeeds to his share of the business 1937: Front Circle rake altered, balcony front raised, stage level raised 1947: Death of Director Alfred Snape, son Brian succeeds to his share of the business 1949: Seven day programme introduced (same film for seven days) 1953 (Aug): Large projection screen installed 1953: Stockport's first 3D film presentation at – "Sangaree" 1954: First ''CinemaScope'' presentation 1955: Harold Ward exits the business to form the Ward Cinema Circuit 1956: Brian Snape took ownership of the Plaza and the remaining Snape & Ward cinemas, renaming the circuit as the G.B. Snape Circuit 1960: First pantomime, ''Babes in the Wood'' featuring

the Dallas Boys The Dallas Boys were a five-piece vocal group from Leicester, England who were regular performers on British television in the 1950s and 1960s. They have been described as "Britain's first boy band". History The group formed in Leicester and com ...

1965 (July): Purchased by the Mecca Group 1966 (Dec): Closes as a cinema ;Bingo hall 1967: Modifications to the auditorium to accommodate bingo; removal of roof tiling, loss of external veranda, neon lighting and signage. Flat floor insertion at rear of stalls, and alterations to foyer. Alterations to café area. 1967 (Feb): Reopens as a bingo hall 1997 (Mar): Cinema listed Grade II by English Heritage 1999: Cinema closes as a bingo hall ;Restored cinema 2000 (Aug): Listing upgraded to Grade II* by English Heritage 2000: Purchased by the Stockport Plaza Trust, first restorations started, and re-opened for live shows and vintage film presentations. First cinema show in December 2000 featured a performance of ''42nd Street'' which had been the first film shown at the Plaza in 1932. There was also a variety performance, and Nigel Ogden of

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

's ''

The Organist Entertains ''The Organist Entertains'' was a long-running music programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2. The 30-minute programme focused on the organ in its many guises, and played recordings and live broadcasts of theatre organs, pipe organs and electronic ...

'' played the Compton Organ for a 1930s style singalong before the screening. (The organ had been found to be in full working order, only needing the power switched on to be used.) 2005: Further restoration plans begin 2007: The Heritage Lottery Fund approves an application for funding of £1.9 million towards further restoration 2009 (Feb):

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 ...

officially closes the Plaza with two sell out shows and work begins on restoration and refurbishment 2009 (May): 'Plaza on Tour' commences – a host of events in alternative venues throughout the region during the Plaza's closure 2009 (Dec): The Plaza reopens following a £3.2 million restoration 2012 (Apr): Plaza obtains a venue licence enabling it to host wedding ceremonies, Louise Burchell and Ben Wainwright become the first to be wed at the Plaza 2013: Front Circle rake restored and balcony front lowered to original design, stage surface renewed 2014 (Jul/Aug): Brand new Art Deco seating cast from the original designs for the entire auditorium, removing the mixed origin seating. 2015 (May): Murals reinstated in the balcony of

Wetherlam Wetherlam (763 m) is a mountain in the English Lake District. It is the most northerly of the Coniston Fells, the range of fells to the north-west of Coniston village; its north-east slopes descend to Little Langdale. Topography Wether ...

and

Little Langdale Little Langdale is a valley in the Lake District, England, containing Little Langdale Tarn and a hamlet also called Little Langdale. A second tarn, Blea Tarn, is in a hanging valley between Little Langdale and the larger Great Langdale to the n ...

Tarn in the Lake District. 2015 (Aug): Compton organ restoration including the glass panel sides, pipes and bellows. 2016 (July): Murals reinstated in stalls of musical instruments which include cymbals, tambourines, wind and various string instruments. 2024 (Aug): New house tab curtains, more exact replicas of the 1932 design are installed, recreated by J&C Joels, theatrical curtain and drapes specialists

Filming location

Used as filming location, including for: * ''

Life on Mars The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no conclusive evidence of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that ...

'' (series 2, episode 6 – 2007) * ''The Maple State, Temperate Lives'' (2009) * ''

Just Henry ''Just Henry'' is a 2011 television film by ITV based on the 2008 Costa Book Award novel, ''Just Henry'' by Michelle Magorian. Plot Henry Dodge is a 15-year-old boy haunted by the tragic death of his father during the Second World War. Henry ...

'' (2011) * ''

Eric and Ernie ''Eric and Ernie'' is a 2011 British television drama film based on the early career of the British comic double-act Morecambe and Wise. The film was produced by BBC Wales, completed in 2010, and premiered on BBC Two on 1 January 2011. It wa ...

'' (2011) * '' Who Do You Think You Are?'' (Series 10, episode 3; Minnie Driver – 2013) * ''Messages Home: Lost films of the British Army'' (2016) * ''Road to Wembley'' (2016) * ''

Tina and Bobby ''Tina and Bobby'' is a British television series based on the relationship between footballer Bobby Moore and Tina Moore. The three-part series was first broadcast on 13 January 2017 on ITV. Premise The series follows the life of Tina Dean an ...

'' (2017) * ''Time for Tea'' hort Film(2017) * ''

Peaky Blinders The Peaky Blinders were a street gang based in Birmingham, England, which operated from the 1880s until the 1920s. The group consisted largely of young criminals from lower- to working-class backgrounds. They engaged in robbery, violence, racke ...

'' (Series 5, episode 6 – 2019) as the Bingley Hall in Birmingham * ''Federal Charm, Can't Rule Me'' (2019) * ''

Bargain Hunt ''Bargain Hunt'' is a British television programme in which two pairs of contestants are challenged to buy antiques from shops or a fair and then sell them in an auction for a profit. It has aired on BBC One since 13 March 2000 in a daytime ...

'' (Series 54, episode 22 – 2019) * ''The Stranger'' (2020) Netflix * Larkins – "Are We Having Any Fun Yet" (2020) *

Jason Manford Jason John Manford (born 26 May 1981) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and singer. Manford was a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show ''8 Out of 10 Cats'' from 2007 until 2010 and has presented numerous television shows for the BBC an ...

– "Muddle Class" (2020) *

Blossoms In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as we ...

live at the Plaza Stockport (2020) *

A Certain Ratio A Certain Ratio (abbreviated as ACR) are an English post-punk band formed in Greater Manchester in 1977 by Peter Terrell (guitar), Simon Topping (vocals, trumpet), Jez Kerr (bass guitar, vocals), Martin Moscrop (trumpet, guitar) and Donald Johns ...

– "Keep It Together" music video (2021) * Blossoms – "Care For" music video (2021) * Blossoms – "Ribbon Around the Bomb" Album Short Film (2022) * '' Nolly'' – ITV mini series; episode 2 (2022) – Noele Gordon arrives to watch her friend Larry Grayson appear on stage

Notes and references

Notes Footnotes

External links

The Stockport Plaza official website

The Stockport Plaza official Facebook page
{{Buildings and structures in Stockport Borough Theatres completed in 1933 Cinemas in Greater Manchester Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester Buildings and structures in Stockport Grade II* listed theatres Culture in Stockport 1933 establishments in England