Palace Theatre, Swansea

The Palace Theatre is a Grade II listed building[1] in Swansea, Wales, located at the northern end of High Street and recognisable for its distinctive wedge shape. It is Wales' oldest surviving theatre.[2]

The Palace Theatre
The Pavilion
The Empire
Address156 High Street
Swansea
Wales
SA1 1AE
Coordinates51°37′39.00″N 3°56′28.00″W
OwnerBalwant Singh Cheema of Swansea Palace Theatre Company Ltd
DesignationGrade II listed
Capacity600+
Current useDisused
Construction
Opened1888
Closed2006
ArchitectBucknall & Jennings
Website
http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/how-we-help/theatres-at-risk/223-swansea-palace

History

Originally built in 1888 as a traditional music hall, the building was initially known as The Pavilion from 1883 to 1892, The Empire from 1892 to 1900, and then as The Palace in 1900 after a takeover by William Coutt, who also operated the city's Shaftesbury Hall, which was known as Swansea's "home of dancing" at the time.[3] From 1912 it was known as the People's Bioscope Palace, bioscope being an early term for moving picture technology.

In the early years of the 20th century stars like Lilly Langtry, Marie Lloyd and Dan Leno filled the venue.[3] Chaplin only performed at the palace when he was 10 years old in 1896.

The building is one of just two purpose-built music halls left standing in the whole of the UK.[4]

In the 1920s-30s the venue moved into holding live theatre events.[3] It shifted into film from the 1930s to 1950s.[3]

Sir Anthony Hopkins made his first professional stage appearance there in 1960 with Swansea Little Theatre's production of 'Have A Cigarette'.[5]

Morecambe and Wise performed at the venue in the 1960s, and Ken Dodd was the last stand-up comedian to appear there before it became nightclub in the 1970s.

It was also the first place in Wales to show a silent picture and remained undamaged by the blitz that destroyed much of Swansea city centre during the Second World War.

The venue also operated in its lifetime as a bingo hall, and as a private gay club.[3] The ground floor bar and lounge was also used as a licensed pub for many years before closing in 2006.

Eventually the theatre was sold for £300,000 to a property company, but in 2010 it was still derelict and actor Edward Fox joined a campaign to have it restored.[6]

New campaign

In October 2013 the BBC reported on issues with the building. The Theatres Trust warned that the building "may fall down" if it did not receive any investment,[7] but the current owner Balwant Singh Cheema of Swansea Palace Theatre Company Ltd (based in Gravesend, Kent)[8] had not invested in the building following their takeover, and refused to comment on the piece.[7] Swansea Council cabinet member for regeneration Nick Bradley told the BBC that renovation would be very expensive, and as a result any Council or Government intervention was unlikely.[7] He warned that regarding costs of redevelopment, "£1m wouldn't even touch it."[7]

In 2014, a new campaign for redevelopment of the site was launched on Facebook.[9]

High Street in 1915

In April 2014 Swansea Council made £75,000[10] available to the owners to carry out work on the High Street theatre, which had been named as one of the 10 most endangered Victorian and Edwardian buildings in England and Wales. The Victorian Society called it "a victim of urban decay". The council funds were earmarked for "emergency works", including making the building watertight, removing vegetation and removing loose brickwork that could be deemed "unsafe". By September 2014 the council issued a reminder to the owners that the work needed to be completed promptly.[11]

In 2018 the derelict theatre was identified as having become "at the hub of the city's street sex trade", after residents of High Street complained that they were no longer able to walk past the building in safety.[12]

The Theatre as of April 2020

In July 2019 the future of the theatre was discussed as part of a public "Emergency Summit", organised by Swansea Council, South Wales Police, Geraint Davies MP, and voluntary sector organisations. The summit was prompted after a spate of incidents in the city including an assault on 20 July on High Street which saw the death of a 54 year old man.[13] The city centre is witnessing investment and construction including two new schemes which will house an additional 1,000 students, but Swansea Council has stated it is yet to secure a development partner for the currently privately owned Theatre.[14] According to the Theatres Trust it remained "in a poor state of repair and extremely vulnerable", although developments "provided hope that a viable solution, which includes community use and preserves the main body of the auditorium, could be found".[2]

In September 2019 the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called out to the theatre amid reports of smoke at the building, emitting from the ground and fourth floor windows.[2] Responders dealt with a fire, but did not initially comment on whether the incident was unsuspicious.[15] Late 2019 and early 2020 saw a plan emerge to save the former theatre. The plans would see it transformed into offices with community and performance space provided. As of 12 February 2020, only interior surveys have been carried out.

References
  1. British Listed Buildings
  2. Comerford, Ruth (10 September 2019). "Palace Theatre in Swansea hit by suspected arson attack". The Stage. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  3. Dalling, Robert (7 March 2019). "The 28 old cinemas that once thrilled the people of Swansea". walesonline. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  4. "Swansea Palace". Theatres Trust. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  5. BBC
  6. "Edward Fox bid to save historic Palace where Charlie Chaplin played", Wales Online, 7 Aug 2010. Accessed 6 Nov 2014
  7. "Fear over historic theatre collapse". 3 October 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  8. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/DJB1p6eyjuJjDrYiBH8SddE1FWY/appointments
  9. South Wales Evening Post
  10. The Stage
  11. "Funding offer to help owners save Palace Theatre in Swansea", South Wales Evening Post, 8 September 2014. Accessed 6 Nov 2014
  12. Katie Bellis (8 March 2018). "What it's like to live on Swansea's most notorious street". WalesOnline. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  13. Bellis, Katie (20 July 2019). "Man due in court after 54-year-old left critically ill in hospital". walesonline. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  14. Youle, Richard (31 July 2019). "'Emergency summit' to take place to sort out Swansea's High Street". walesonline. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  15. Williams, Kathryn (8 September 2019). "Live updates as Swansea's Palace Theatre is on fire". walesonline. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
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