Plaza Theatre
470 Borough Road,
Birkenhead,
CH42 9NA
470 Borough Road,
Birkenhead,
CH42 9NA
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Bedford Cinemas (1928) Ltd.
Architects: Arthur Ernest Shennan
Styles: Art Deco, Neo-Classical
Nearby Theaters
Located at the corner of Borough Road, between Kingsland Road and Carlton Road. The Plaza Theatre was built for and operated the local Bedford Cinemas Ltd. chain. It opened on 2nd August 1930 with Norma Shearer in "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney".
The exterior of the building was in brick, with white stone dressings to give a Neo-Classical style appearance. Inside, the foyer and auditorium were in an Art Deco style. Seating was provided for 1,860 in the stalls and 700 in the circle. The proscenium was 40 feet wide, and there was a fully equipped stage which was 18 feet deep, with four dressing rooms. There was a Compton 3Manual/12Ranks organ, and on the first floor above the entrance foyer was a large tea-room/café.
The Plaza Theatre sustained some bomb damage in early-1941, which resulted in its closure until April 1941. The Plaza Theatre began to run part-time bingo in the mid-1960’s, but soon returned to full-time cinema use.
The Plaza Theatre was closed on 3rd March 1973 with Clint Eastwood in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". It was converted into a Mecca Bingo Club, which operated until early-November 1997. The building became vandalised and arson damaged by fire. It was demolished in May 2001, and today a builders merchants operates from the site.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
This was the first cinema I was taken to as a child, the movie was Snow White and we sat in the circle…..I was a toddler but even so, remember a lot about the visit. Where we sat, the sight of the cafe at the top of the sweeping stairs and a rather ancient (by that time , about 1965) piece of B&W film ‘The Plaza Presents’ followed by the trailers. I was then a regular until the cinema finally closed. It was just wonderful, huge, well looked after even towards the end of its life and quite elegant to my eyes. Crazy but even now I can see it in my minds eye when I go to the cinema, the smell takes me right back to being a kid again.
Does anyone know what bands played at the Plaza (B-Head) in the 1960s. Did Marmalade doe a gig there and does anyone know if the Hollies did a gig there? Dates as well please if possible? Kind Regards, Scouser from the one eyed city:)
Hi, Marmalade did indeed play there in the late 60’s along with local band Colonel Bagshot and others. Can’t remember the name of the main support but they had a hit with ‘Hitching a Ride’. Earlier (1964ish?) Little Richard played there along with another local band, the Roadrunners. Hope this helps.
Does anyone remember the marble pool full of goldfish in the foyer?
Photo: http://playingbingo.co.uk/images/lost-halls/birkenhead-plaza-bingo-borough-road/birkenhead-plaza-bingo-borough-road.jpg
Grand opening ad posted.