Regal Cinema, Evesham

Regal Cinema
Map
General information
Architectural styleArt Deco
LocationEvesham, Worcestershire
Address41 Port Street
Evesham WR11 6AD
CountryEngland
Coordinates52°5′27.294″N 1°56′23.932″W / 52.09091500°N 1.93998111°W / 52.09091500; -1.93998111
grid reference SP 04209 43620
Opened1932
Design and construction
Architect(s)Hurley Robinson
Website
theregal.ac/web

The Regal Cinema is a cinema in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. Built in 1932, it is a Grade II listed building.[1] After closure in 2003, the venue re-opened in 2012 after renovation. It is noted for its Art Deco style.

History and description

The cinema was built by a group of local businessmen, who commissioned the architect Hurley Robinson.[2] It seated 945, in stalls and circle levels, and it opened on 10 October 1932, showing the film The Silent Voice.[3]

The Art Deco doors at the corner entrance

The listing text comments that "Robinson had designed over 55 cinemas before the Regal, but this is a rare survival and the most architecturally significant." It is a steel-framed building clad in brick, and the street frontage is framed in stonework. The corner entrance is flamked by reeded columns with lotus leaf capitals. There are paired double doors with an arrow motif, repeated in the glazing above.[1]

In 2000, after the Regal was put up for sale, the Evesham Regal Trust was founded, a charity dedicated to preserving the cinema.[4] The building was given listed status, Grade II, by Historic England on 13 November 2000.[1] The cinema closed in 2003 and remained unused for a number of years. Plans were proposed in 2009 to renovate the building, and after restoration and refurbishment costing £2m, it re-opened on 21 January 2012, with new seating arrangements including tables at the former stalls, and luxury seats and sofas in the circle.[3][5][6]

The Regal screens films and also stages live events; it holds exhibitions, and there is a coffee shop and wine bar.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Historic England. "Regal Cinema (1268417)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  2. ^ "The Regal was the place where Hollywood dreams came to life" Evesham Journal, 1 December 2000. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Regal Cinema" Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Evesham Regal Trust" This is Worcestershire. Version dated 11 March 2006 retrieved via the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ "Revamped Regal is a big success story" Evesham Journal, 27 August 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Celebrating 90 years of the Regal theatre in Evesham" Cotswold Life, 14 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  7. ^ "The Regal Cinema" Visit Evesham. Retrieved 1 January 2025