The ABC Theatre, Church Street, Blackpool

Formerly - The Empire Theatre of Varieties / The Hippodrome - Later - ABC Cinemas / Cannon / MGM / The Syndicate Nightclub

Introduction - The Empire Theatre of Varieties - Renaming to The Hippodrome 1900 - ABC Takeover 1929 - The ABC Theatre 1963 - ABC Tripling for Cinema Use 1981 - The Syndicate Nightclub and Demolition

Blackpool Theatres Index - Blackpool Theatres Article by Donald Auty

Above - The former ABC Theatre, Blackpool, shown here as the Syndicate Nightclub in November 2013 - Photo M. L.

The building on Church Street, Blackpool which until recently was known as The Syndicate Nightclub, but still fondly remembered as the Hippodrome and the ABC Theatre until it was demolished in 2014, had a long and involved history. It was originally constructed by Messrs Peters of Rochdale in 1895, at a cost of some £30,000, and designed as a large Ballroom and Music Hall by John Dent Harker.

Right - The Empire Theatre of Varieties, Blackpool.

The Theatre opened as the Empire Theatre of Varieties on the 4th of July 1895. The Theatre had a small stage and a flat auditorium floor with a gallery around three sides, and was decorated in the Italian Renaissance style. The ERA reported on the new Theatre in their 13th of July 1895 edition saying: - 'The new Empire Theatre of Varieties, the latest addition to Blackpool's numerous places of entertainment, was opened on the 4th inst. In response to the invitation of the management, there was a large and fashionable gathering. Madame Levanti's Bohemian ladies' orchestra played the National Anthem, Miss Florence Fish singing the solo, the audience meanwhile standing. The orchestra then played a sprightly march, appropriately named "Our Empire," after which Mr Cookson, the manager, who was enthusiastically received, stepped to the front and gracefully acknowledged the compliment the audience had paid the directorate in so handsomely responding to the invitations issued. With a passing request that any little imperfections in the performance caused by the hurried nature of the arrangements might be overlooked, "the genial Charlie " expressed the hope that the entertainment would be worthy of their appreciation, and that the place would gain a high reputation.

Excellent turns were contributed by Miss Maggie Duggan, whose male impersonations were very successful; Mr Quinton Gibson, one of the best female impersonators of the present day; Mr Lester Barrett, humourist; Mr John Renson and Miss Rose Waite, song and dance artists; Miss Lottie Collard, Mr Dick Geldard, Miss Marie Stuart, and soloists from the ladies orchestra. A ball followed.

The building occupies a commanding position at the top of Church-street, and is in the centre of the town. It has been built by Messrs Peters, of Rochdale, from the designs of Mr J. D. Harker, A. R. I. B.A., of Manchester, at a cost of about £30,000. The interior has been tastefully decorated in the Italian Renaissance style by Mr R. Bennett, of Manchester, and the elaborate decorative work of the proscenium and balconies has been executed by the London Plastic Decorative and Papier Mache Company (Limited).

The proscenium is very fine, being 32ft. wide and 25ft. high. Mr T. E. Ryan, of London, has painted a very pretty act drop, and the other scenery is by Mr H. Lemaistre, of the Manchester Theatre Royal. The stage appointments are excellent, and special provision has been made for the comfort of artists, the dressing-rooms being fitted with hot and cold water, the latter being heated by electricity, and there is an ingenious contrivance for heating curling tongs. The stage is separated from the auditorium by an asbestos fire-proof curtain, made by Messrs Tollerton, of Leeds; and Messrs Lowcock, Hill, and Co., of Manchester, have installed the electric light.

The company's original intention was to provide dancing and variety entertainments for thousands of holiday makers who go to Blackpool every summer, but the refusal of the magistrates to grant them a singing and dancing licence will cause the directors to alter their plans. Application for a dramatic licence, however, was made to the Town Council, and the Watch Committee recommended that it should he granted...'

The above text in quotes was first published in the ERA, 13th of July 1895.

The Empire Theatre had first opened on the 4th of July 1895 but was soon finding itself in financial difficulties, the ERA reported on this in their December 1895 edition saying: 'The directors of Prince's (Blackpool), Limited, report most discouragingly to the shareholders. They only opened their place of entertainment, which is known as the Empire Theatre of Varieties, on July 6th last, and closed it on Oct. 12th, but such have been their difficulties that they now declare a loss of £2,337 7s. 4d.

Right - A Programme for David Whitfield in 'Rose Marie' at the ABC Theatre, Blackpool - Courtesy Roy Cross.

The cost of erection appears to have considerably exceeded the estimates, and the magistrates' refusal to grant a licence for public dancing also affected the company's interest. The concern had a bad start, but as the season advanced the entertainments were improved and the attendance grew in proportion.

Left - Scenes from a Programme for David Whitfield in 'Rose Marie' at the ABC Theatre, Blackpool - Courtesy Roy Cross.

The directors remark that the late manager, Mr C. Cookson, has commenced proceedings against them for £80, alleged by him to be due for the entertainment advertised as his benefit, but the action has not yet been heard. £10,000 is required to pay off the unsecured creditors, complete the building, and provide working capital.

The profit and loss account shows that up to Oct. 31st, the total expenditure was £6,067 1s. 1d., of which £2,164 16s. 8d was paid for artistes and band wages. The receipts for admission only amounted to £2,842 ls.

A resolution to voluntarily wind up the company will be considered at an extraordinary meeting of the shareholders this (Saturday) afternoon.' - The ERA, December 1895.

Renaming to The Hippodrome 1900

The Empire's poor profits must have continued as it was converted into a Circus and Variety venue just 5 years later in July 1900, and renamed the Hippodrome, which was run by Harry Lundy with Arthur Yates as its Manager and R. W. Steele as the Assistant Manager, advertised in the press as a Variety Theatre and Circus.

By August however, both Lundy and Yates had resigned due to a breach of contract and later notices state that C. V. Howard was its Managing Director.

Right - An Advertisement for the Hippodrome, Blackpool in September 1900 stating that it was the Largest Theatre in Blackpool - From the Stage, 20th of September 1900.

Ten years later, in January 1910, the venue was struggling and it was put up for sale. The new owners removed the Arena and raked the floor so that it could be converted into a cine/variety Theatre, still called the Hippodrome, but now seating 2,500, it opened in the summer of 1910 with Donald O Clark as its Acting Manager, staging Twice Nightly Variety during the summer months.

ABC Takeover of the Hippodrome 1929

Above - A Publicity Stunt involving a group of 'Sandwichmen' parading outside the Blackpool Hippodrome to advertise the Warner film 'Atlantic' there in April 1930 - From the Kinematograph Weekly, 10th of April 1930.

In April 1929 the Theatre was taken over by Associated British Cinemas (ABC) and they increased the seating capacity to 2,820 and installed Western Electric sound equipment. Under their ownership the Hippodrome was far more successful, putting on Variety, Reviews, Orchestral Concerts, Christmas Pantomimes, and many Films at the Theatre, and by 1939 ABC had planned to rebuild the Theatre but the outbreak of war put a stop to it. The Hippodrome instead closed in September 1939 at the outbreak of the war and then reopened in January 1940.

Right - An Advertisement for the Hippodrome, Blackpool in August 1929 stating that it was the Premier Talkie House in Blackpool - From the Fleetwood Chronicle, 30th of August 1929.

However, they were to achieve their plans eventually in 1963, when the Theatre was demolished for the creation of the new ABC Theatre on the site, see details below. By the way, I am told that the ruble from the Hippodrome was dumped on the lower playing fields of St Joseph's College, Newton Drive (opposite St Clement's Ave, now the Cloisters). Rugby and other sports were consequently then played on a new elevated pitch.

The ABC Theatre 1963

Above - A Sketch of the ABC Theatre, Blackpool with Jimmy Tarbuck and Keneth McKellar on the Bill - From a Programme for the Theatre in 1971 - Courtesy Martin Clark.

The Hippodrome was almost completely rebuilt in 1963 to the designs of C. J. Foster, who was the chief architect for ABC at the time.

The Theatre reopened as an ABC Theatre on the 31st of May 1963 with a summer season show called Holiday Carnival with Cliff Richard and the Shadows headlining, see the opening programme below.

Right - An image of the ABC Theatre, Blackpool on its opening with Cliff Richard and the Shadows in 'Holiday Carnival'.

The new ABC Theatre had an auditorium on two levels, stalls and one circle, and a capacity of 1,934 people. The stage at this time was 8.69 metres deep by 19.51 metres wide, and was fitted with its own permanent revolve.

Above - The Opening Programme for 'Holiday Carnival' with Cliff Richard and The Shadows at the ABC Theatre, Blackpool in 1963 - Kindly Donated by Chantelle Seaborn whose parents, Norma and Tom Clarkson, visited the Theatre on its opening year in June 1963.

Above - A Selection of Programmes for the ABC Blackpool - Courtesy Martin Clark.

The ABC was used for stage shows in the summer seasons and films and concerts in the winter. The Theatre was also used by ABC Weekend Television who broadcast their 'Blackpool Night Out' variety shows from the Theatre during the 1960s, see the 1965 'Blackpool Night Out' programme below.

Above - A Programme for ABC Television's 'Blackpool Night Out' with Mike & Bernie Winters in 1965 - Kindly Donated by Chantelle Seaborn whose parents, Norma and Tom Clarkson, visited the Theatre for this production in 1965.

An Autographed Programme for the Mike and Bernie Winters Show at the ABC Blackpool in the 1970s

Above - A 1970s Autographed Programme for the Mike and Bernie Winters Show at the ABC Blackpool - Kindly Donated by Roy Banks who says:- 'My sister's first career was as a professional dancer and she worked for several years in the UK and abroad under the stage name of Sharon Lupino (we're descended from the historic theatre family on my mother's side). I saw her on the stage many times. The extensive autographing is explained by her backstage access.'

The ABC Tripling for Cinema Use 1981

The Theatre was later trippled in January 1981, reopening as the ABCs 1, 2, and 3 on the 30th of April 1981, this put an end to the former Theatre's live days, although the stage, orchestra pit, 1963 proscenium, safety curtain, front stalls, and dressing rooms were all left intact behind the screens of the number 2 and 3 cinemas.

Right - A Programme for Frank Ifield and Kathy Kirby at the ABC, Blackpool in 1964, and Far Right - A Programme for the Morecambe & Wise Show at the ABC, Blackpool in 1965 - Courtesy Jeff Barron.

Left - A Programme Cover for 'The Army Game' at the ABC Theatre, Blackpool in the 1960s - Kindly Donated by Chantelle Seaborn whose parents, Norma and Tom Clarkson, visited the Theatre regularly in the 1960s.

The Theatre was renamed Cannon in 1986 and then MGM from May 1993 but was closed as a Cinema for good in December 1998.

The Syndicate Nightclub and Demolition

The Theatre stood empty for nearly four years after its closure in December 1998 before it was eventually converted for nightclub use in 2001 by the local business partners Mike and Sandra Nordwind. They converted the building at a cost of £4 million and reopened it as a nightclub called 'The Syndicate' in December 2002.

Right - A Google StreetView image of the former ABC Theatre / Cinema in May 2009 - Click to Interact.

The Syndicate had some bad press in 2005 when it lost its late night drinks licence after a court case involving alleged violence at the venue, the club had to close down for a month in October 2005 as a result. It then reopened in January 2006 but with a drinks licence only to 11pm. The club was then bought in May by Nexum Leisure who spent a further £2 million on the venue and reopened it in June 2007 as a Polish venue. The Syndicate closed on 10th August 2011 but later reopened as a nightclub again and staged various special events.

In December 2012 the building was threatened with demolition by the Council who wanted to turn the site into a car park, and a great deal of local opposition to the plans took place, but in the end it was to no avail.

Left - A Google StreetView Image showing the former ABC Theatre, Blackpool during preparations for its demolition in October 2014 and revealing the original exterior of the Theatre from 1963 - Click to Interact.

The Nightclub's cladding was removed in May 2014, and for a brief time the 1960s ABC frontage was again visible, see image left, but before long the whole building had been demolished so that the site could be used for parking until a more suitable use could be found when land values recovered. By 2022 a rather sorry looking NHS Dental Surgery had been constructed on the site of the former Theatre and was still there at the time of writing in 2026.

Donald Auty writes on the Blackpool Hippodrome in his article on Blackpool Theatres here.

Some of the information on this Theatre's later years was gleaned from the excellent Cinema Treasures website, Wikipedia, the Syndicate's own website, and the Theatres Trust.

Some of the archive newspaper reports on this page were collated and kindly sent in for inclusion by B.F.

If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me.