The Grand Theatre, Haslingden Road and Queen's Square, Rawtenstall, Lancashire

Later - The Palace Theatre of Varieties / Palace Theatre / Palace Cinema

See also in this area Bolton Theatres, Burnley Theatres, Blackburn Theatres, Rochdale Theatres

Above - A Postcard View of the Grand Theatre, Rawtenstall - Courtesy Jeff Clarke.

The Grand Theatre was situated on Haslingden Road and Queen's Square in Rawtenstall and first opened on Monday the 31st of July, 1899 with the Burlesque 'Don Quixote' by the Milton Rays Company. The Theatre was designed by the architectural firm of Darbyshire and Bennett Smith in the Neo-Classical Style. It had a quite large stage, 37 feet deep, with a proscenium opening of 27 feet.

The ERA reported on the Theatre's opening in their 5th of August 1899 edition saying:- 'The New Grand Theatre, Rawtenstall, was opened on Monday by the Milton-Rays, with their lively burlesque Don Quixote. When the curtain was raised there was revealed the full company of about forty artistes, and the audience rose and joined in the National Anthem. After an overture, the performance of Don Quixote was given with great success. As Sancho Panza Mr Arthur Milton kept the audience in hearty laughter, and his hearers were convulsed with merriment at his rendering of "How long will it be?" Miss Susie Bevan and Miss Florence Burns sang charmingly, and their duet was rapturously applauded. The acrobatic display given by Mr Charles Laffar was admired, and he had again and again to bow his acknowledgments. The dancing of the Titanic Troupe was clever and amusing.

After the second act the three lessees, Messrs A. Milton, W. Johnson, and J. Potter, came before the curtain, and Mr Arthur Milton, addressing the audience, explained that the scheme launched forth that evening emanated from Mr Brown, of the Queen's Hotel. The lessees hoped they had given the public a theatre worthy of Rawtenstall and district. He believed they would not find in any other town a body of capitalists investing £15,000 in building a theatre for the same amount of population. Some people thought that building never would be completed, and he had heard of one old Rawtenstall gentleman who had offered to bet £50 that it would not be opened that night. The contractors had had to contend with the plasterers' strike and other difficulties, but the people of Rawtenstall had got their theatre, and on behalf of the lessees he thanked very sincerely Messrs Darbyshire and Smith, the architects, the contractors, and the decorators. Their purpose was to provide a comfortable building where the public could get a good entertainment for their money. He was sure Mr Potter, who managed two of their theatres, would send the best companies, and he was also certain that Mr Potts, the resident manager, who had been with him seventeen years, and was one of the most experienced managers in the provinces, would do all he could to make that theatre worthy the support of the public of Rawtenstall and district.

To the dramatic profession generally Rawtenstall was an unknown quantity. They might say bring them good companies and they would support them, but, on the other hand, it must be borne in mind that the lessees could not bring good companies unless they had the support of the people of Rawtenstall. They might have to steer through stormy waters, but they hoped soon to get into smooth water, and that the good ship Grand might sail gallantly into the harbour of success.'

The above text in quotes was first published in the ERA , 5th of August 1899.

The Grand Theatre had opened on the 31st of July 1899 and was used mostly as a Variety Theatre, although it was already showing early films as part of its programming by the turn of the Century. In fact it was given a Cinematograph Licence in 1910 and became a full time Cinema for a while, but during the first world war it reverted to live theatre use again.

Never a very successful Theatre the Grand eventually had a change of name to the Palace Theatre of Varieties but this didn't help much and it was closed down completely from the late 1920s until 1932, when it was reopened as the Palace Cinema with a projection box situated at the rear of the stage. Despite its Cinema use it did still show the occasional variety show on its stage however.

In 1936 the Cinema closed and the Theatre was returned to full time Variety use but this didn't last long and its final production, an amateur production of 'The Mikado', closed the Theatre for good the following year. The Theatre was demolished in February 1938. Today an island park between two roads marks the spot where the Grand Theatre once stood, see image below.

Above - A Google StreetView Image showing, to the left, the site of the former Grand Theatre, Palace Cinema, Rawtenstall in June 2016 - Click to Interact.

Some of the later information for this Theatre was gleaned from the excellent Cinema Treasures Website.

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