Regent

The Regent was opened by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres Ltd. The style was described as Italian Renaissance. The foyer was paved with black and white marble with a dado of Algerian onyx and a richly ornamental and delicately coloured ceiling. A broad marble staircase led to the entrances to the stalls. There were two restaurants with accommodation for 300. The theatre had 2300 seats plus standing aisles. The stage had a fly-tower and full facilities for shows, and there was a large orchestra pit with a Wurlitzer organ. Indirect lighting illuminated rich ornamental plasterwork and in the side walls between the pilasters, Italian landscapes were individually lit. These panels were painted by Frank Barnes, who was also responsible for the portrait heads of distinguished poets and musicians in the restaurants. There was a wide proscenium. The Regent Orchestra was formed of 20 players, supporting the last of the silent films and then accompanying the lavish stage presentations between films. In the 1950s the proscenium was modified to allow installation of Cinemascope, but the stage was in continuous use through the 1950s and part of the 60s for one-night or weekly presentations for artists such as Victor Borge, Norman Wisdom, Ella Fitzgerald, Ted Heath's orchestra, and the Beatles. In 1968 the Gaumont closed after 39 years of public entertainment and underwent a major twinning conversion. The stage disappeared as did the organ; the entrance was rebuilt, and the restaurants were converted to a terrace bar. The facade has changed little since the theatre opened, except for a modern style canopy, but internally the building is much altered through twinning and subsequent subdivision to accommodate a total of six screens, although some of the panels and parts of the proscenium arch do survive. The building is currently subject to a planning application which will involve demolition of much of the former cinema and construction of flats. There are currently plans to demolish much of the former cinema and construct flats, but a first planning application has been refused.