Palace

A small theatre, indeed diminutive when compared with other jobs which Crewe was handling at about the same time (e.g. Palace Theatre, Manchester, q.v.). Stuccoed façade alongside the auditorium/stage in a rather coarse Neo-Classical manner - three storeys and nine bays: the five middle bays with a rusticated ground floor supporting panelled Ionic pilasters in the upper storeys. Straight entablature and parapet. Intimate and quite pleasing auditorium with restrained Neo-Classical plasterwork. One eight-row balcony on a shallow curve, linked to one large box on either side, framed by Ionic pilasters with pediment over. Rectangular proscenium with reed-moulded frame. Flat ceiling with central circular rose. No safety curtain. Green room and seven dressing rooms. After a period of use for bingo the theatre was purchased by the Local Authority in 1971, refurbished and a three-storeyed extension built to the right of the original front, with a new entrance around the corner. It is mainly used by amateurs with occasional professional tours. Various plans have been proposed in recent years for improvements and incorporation into a new development.