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Grand Theatre

208

An imposing, large free-standing building, sited just outside the town centre near the south end of the promenade. Red brick front facade surmounted by low, semi-octagonal towers and glazed entrance canopy. Finished with stone dressings and string courses providing a pleasing and robust composition. The exterior has been well maintained. Very fine, intimate auditorium with two well-curved balconies of eight rows each, terminating in two boxes either side at first balcony level and one above. The boxes are divided by slender colonnettes with enriched shafts and capitals. Spanning the auditorium above the boxes is a segmental arch with lattice decoration, which has richly decorated panelled reveals and cartouche. Square proscenium arch featuring lion head motifs and plush red and gold velvet teaser, with gold letter ‘G’ picked out. Saucer-domed ceiling with a plaster sunburst around a central rose. The plasterwork on balcony fronts, boxes, proscenium and ceiling is of excellent quality with lavishly and delicately modelled foliated scrolls, festoons, putti and musical instruments. Subdivided for nightclub use, the work is easily reversible. The original auditorium remains intact behind the modern disco fittings, the auditorium and stage forming one nightclub space. The house tabs have been taken down and folded away and the iron is still in place and in working order. The under-stage equipment is a particularly rare survival, including original wooden traps in working order and old wind machine. Designed by the internationally renowned Edwardian theatre architect, Edwin O Sachs, this is potentially the best traditional theatre in North Wales not in theatre use. The nightclub closed in June 2013 after Atmosphere Bars and Clubs Ltd went into administration. The new owner, Enigma Leisure, reopened the building in May 2016 as the Broadway Boulevard nightclub, and is undertaking repair works and in 2018 are in discussions with the council to open up the upper levels of the theatre, stripping out redundant mechanical and electrical equipment and revealing the decorative plasterwork of the ceiling and upper balconies for the first time in many years.

Built / Converted
1901
Dates of use
  • 1901 - 1985: Theatre
  • 1987 - 2013: Nightclub
  • 2013 - 2015: Disused
  • 2016 : Nightclub
Current state
Extant
Current use
Converted to other use (Nightclub)
Address
Mostyn Broadway, Llandudno, Gwynedd, LL30 1YR, Wales
Further details
Other names
Revivals Disco , Broadway Boulevard
Events
  • 1901 Design/Construction:
    George Humphries (Mostyn Estate)
    - Architect
    E O Sachs
    - Consultant
  • 1901 Owner/Management: Milton Bode, 'Director'; Stanley Rogers, 'local manager'.
  • 1901 - 1985 Use: Theatre
  • 1919 Owner/Management: A G Pugh, manager
  • 1928 Owner/Management: Mrs Kimberley, lessee & manager
  • 1933 Owner/Management: The Art Entertainments Ltd, proprietor
  • 1946 - 1950 Owner/Management: North Wales Entertainments Ltd, lessees
  • 1958 - 1976 Owner/Management: John Creese-Parsons, owner & manager
  • 1987 - 2013 Use: Nightclub
  • 1988 Owner/Management: Mr Duckenfield, owner; Mrs E Hughes & Mr B M P McLoughlin, managers
  • 1993 Owner/Management: McLoughlin
  • 2010 - 2013 Owner/Management: Atmosphere Bars and Clubs
  • 2013 - 2015 Use: Disused
  • 2015 - 2016 Owner/Management: MBI Hotels, owner
  • 2016 Owner/Management: Enigma Leisure, owner, continuing
  • 2016 Use: Nightclub
Capacities
  • Capacity
    Later
    Description
    1962: 1,000
    1971: 1,010
Listings
  • Listing
    II*
Stage type
Proscenium raked
Building dimensions: -
Stage dimensions: Depth: 15.24m Width SL: 9.14m SR: 9.14m
Proscenium width: 27ft 6in
Height to grid: 26.36m (c.50ft)
Inside proscenium: -
Orchestra pit: Original