Regal

The Regal’s predecessor was the Olympia which opened in 1910 as a skating rink but within three months stage shows were being presented. Having a flat floor it was capable of serving a dual role. Many professional and amateur companies played there during its 23 years life. It had a small squat fly tower.

No trace of the old Olympia now remains. The present brick-faced building dates from 1933. It consists of a square tower on the right hand side the top of which is higher than the rest of the rectangular block. The stalls are steeply raked, giving very good sight lines. Wide proscenium opening 11.2m (36ft 8in). The stage, used frequently by local amateurs until the 60s, and occasionally by professional artists, is shallow with a recess in the rear wall. There is no grid as such. A series of pulleys hang from beams about two feet below the stage roof. Two dressing rooms occupy the upstage part of each wing. The Regal still has the ambience of a theatre, although it needs much backstage improvement and is unlikely to host stage shows again in the immediate future despite the fact it is the most suitable building in the area for this purpose. It seems a pity when local organisations are pressing for a civic theatre of some kind. One cannot imagine there being sufficient private or public cash to provide a new building with proper stage facilities.