Purple Art Deco Cinema, England

This Purple Art Deco Cinema is hidden in plain sight, behind a grand façade on a busy city street in England. The theatre first opened in the early 1930s, giving its patrons nearly 70 years of blockbusters and cinematic classics. The last movie screening was 25 years ago, but since then it has been left to decay.

This cinema has been on my “most wanted” list for several years. I am a huge fan of Art Deco, so photographing a beautiful example like this is always a treat. Unfortunately, I’m always just a little too late to catch it open. However, my perseverance was rewarded early in 2022, and I was finally able to enter. It was well worth the wait, and this was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure.

Architecture and highlights inside the abandoned purple Art Deco Cinema

The stage area is extremely ornate, with a massive curved canopy above and an alcove/balconette on each side that was once backlit. The proscenium is square in shape, with a fluted archway and a gold decorative border. The golden stage curtain is a delightfully luxurious Austrian Ruffle style.

The magnificent golden Art Deco starburst ceiling rose dominates the upper portion of the photos from almost any angle.  From the center, hangs a chandelier with numerous round frosted light bulbs. Strikingly, there is a similar starburst motif on the underside of the balcony you can see when standing in the stalls area below.

The auditorium walls directly in front of the stage have some interesting relief panels. Each has a cityscape with skyscrapers flanking a bridge and a flowing river. One of the skyscrapers appears to be the Chrysler Building, indicating that the city in the scene is New York. A large stalk-like bird is flying through the sky, looking back at the skyscraper.