Globe Theatre

The first cinema on the site was built in 1913, demolished in 1925 and replaced on a larger scale in 1926, still as a cinema. In 1935 Charles and Alfred Lewis rebuilt once again, this time in Art Deco style as the New Globe Theatre of Varieties. It had full stage facilities with dressing rooms on three floors and was intended as a number one variety house, but with film projection facilities. It became an ABC cinema in 1937, but still with much live use including annual pantomimes. There were regular stage shows with national companies after the war. In 1977 it converted to bingo, in which use it continued until closing in 1996. From that time it stood dark and neglected on the High Street, but still retaining its theatre potential.

The ground floor front, which originally had shop fronts flanking the entrance, has now been tiled, in a perfectly discreet manner. Above this, the moderne stucco façade has fluted giant pilaster strips rising through two storeys to a stepped attic with two short, cubist towers. Internally much of the original ornament has survived. Auditorium has characteristic, almost unaltered ornament to the single balcony front, side walls with light fountains and broad, square proscenium. It is an excellent example of its kind and date.

The Globe has remained vacant since 1996 but development plans were developed in 2009 to restore the building to live use. Planning permission was granted in February 2010, and in October 2013 the theatre received a £4 million Heritage Lottery Fund Grant for its restoration. Planning permission was subsequently sought in 2017. Stockton Council announced restoration plans in July 2017 and that the Ambassador Theatre Group would operate the venue for the following 25 years.