Gloucester Picturedrome

The Picturedrome opened in 1923 as a 700 seat cinema. From 1962 it was used as a bingo hall, and on closing in 1986 was purchased by the Gloucester Operatic and Dramatic Society (GODS) and converted in just five months to theatre use, reopening as the New Olympus Theatre.

Set on a corner site, the theatre has a stuccoed exterior, with canopy over double entrance doors. The works in 1986 created an orchestra pit extending under the stage, and brought the proscenium further into the auditorium increasing the size of the stage itself. The circle was re-raked to provide adequate sightlines, and seating capacity of the 'new' theatre was 460.

GODS successfully maintained the theatre for many years, but in 2007 were forced to sell the property, due to constantly high maintenance costs. In 2008 the new owners were granted some funding through the City Council's Interim Historic Areas Grant Scheme, to carry out repair works and undertake a feasibility study.

The theatre reopened as the Gloucester Picturedrome. It has a 375 seat main theatre, studio, and bar area, and aims to engage with the local community and encourage and invest in local regeneration.