UK – London – Streatham Hill Theatre

Dates: 1929 – present

Official website: http://streathamhilltheatre.org

Architect: W.G.R. Sprague
Seats: 2523

The building was rebuilt after bombing in the Second World War, and was used as a bingo hall after closing as a theatre. 

1929 – Theatre opened
1944 – Theatre damaged by a flying bomb during the war, and closed. 
1950 – Theatre reconstructed. 
1962 – Modified for Bingo use, but the stage remains in situ
2017 – Beacon Bingo ended use of the auditorium for bingo. The foyer was in use as a casino afterwards.

The Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre have a Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/streathamhilltheatre packed with photos and historical information. 

Stage Machinery

There’s a ‘Pantomime Trap’ / lift still in existence on stage.

The Orchestra Pit had a unique three part riser system – the conductor and the left and right sides of the orchestra could be raised and lowered independently (see photos below).
From Theatre Consultant Roger Fox: The three orchestra pit lifts were built by Knights of Southgate. They are three equal sized ones in a row with the central one having a small lift for the conductor within it. I think that they only travelled from stalls level down and I assume that you could have a small central pit with seats either side if you wished. There are three separate entry points from the stage basement. Electricity was never re-instated to the motors following the re-building, and the staff hand wound them as required.The contactor boxes are extant. The central pit entrance is now blocked by a fine example of a Knight’s mic riser mechanism. We don’t know if the pit rail is in situ under the bingo floor.

Documents

Orchestra Pit Lift (from Facebook group)
Orchestra Pit Lift (from Facebook group) 
Click on thumbnail to enlarge
[60kb  JPEG]
Orchestra Pit Lift Control circuits (from Facebook group)
Orchestra Pit Lift Control circuits (from Facebook group) 
Click on thumbnail to enlarge
[65kb  JPEG]
Ornate Tannoy Cabinet (from Facebook group)
Ornate Tannoy Cabinet (from Facebook group) 
Click on thumbnail to enlarge
[142kb  JPEG]

Streatham Hill Theatre - Arthur Lloyd 
[External Website]
From Arthur Lloyd website

Theatres Trust - Streatham Hill Theatre 
[External Website]
From Theatres Trust Collection

 

 

Location


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