The New Pavilion Theatre, South Queen Street & High Street, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire

Later - Star Bingo / Walker's Bingo / After Dark Nightclub / Orbit Nightclub / Puccino's Restaurant

Leeds Theatres Index

Above - The Pavilion Theatre, Morley in April 2009 - Courtesy John West

The New Pavilion Theatre in Morley was designed by Howarth & Howarth and built as a Cine-Variety Theatre opening on the 25th of November 1911. The Theatre had full stage facilities and a fly tower, and its auditorium was constructed on two levels, Stalls and one Balcony. A major fire completely destroyed the backstage area in March 1913, but thankfully the auditorium survived intact. The backstage area was then quickly rebuilt and the Theatre reopened just three months later on the 16th of June 1913. It then continued with live theatre and films until 1916 when it became a full time Cinema. However, by 1929, with interest in silent films on the wane, the building reverted to live theatre again, reopening on Monday the 23rd of September that year.

In 1931, after having new cinema equipment with a rear projection room and sound equipment for talking pictures installed, the building became a Cinema again, reopening on Monday the 1st of June 1931, although the stage was still often used for live shows too. The Pavilion then carried on in this veign for the next three decades, albeit with alterations for Cinemascope and the installation of a front projection box in the rear of the balcony in 1956. Sadly the Theatre was finally closed on the 27th of July 1968 and it would never be used as a Cinema or Theatre again.

Right - Ronnie Barraclough and David Reekie's book 'Morley Entertainers,' which is available from the publishers here, has details of the Pavilion Theatre and a photograph of it on the cover.

Instead, the Pavilion was converted for Bingo use, and reopened as a 'Star Bingo' Club on the 7th of August 1968, later becoming a 'Walker's Bingo' Club in 1984, and was used as such for many years until Bingo ceased on the 29th of February 1988, after which the building stood empty and unused again for a while.

Left - A Google StreetVeiw Image showing the former Pavilion Theatre, Morley in August 2024 - Click to Interact.

In 1989 however, the Theatre was put to use as a Nightclub called 'After Dark' which opened on Thursday the 12th of July that year, later it was converted into a Techno Nightclub called 'Orbit' but this also closed, in 2003. It was then put to use as a restaurant called Puccino's for a while but even this closed in July 2005, although even today the signage for the restaurant remains on the front of the building.

Plans were later proposed and planning permission granted in 2014 to convert the building for residential and restaurant use but this never came to fruition and the former Theatre has been closed and boarded up ever since. The building was put up for Auction in 2020 for a guide price of £475,000 but failed to find a bidder. At the time of writing in September 2024 the Theatre's fate is still unknown and, as it is not a Listed Building, its future remains uncertain.

Above - The Pavilion Theatre, Morley in April 2009 - Courtesy John West