Page 28 - The Palace @ 100

Dancing, Skating, Wrestling and Bingo

Redditch Guide 1950

‘The Palace Theatre in
Alcester Street,
temporarily converted
into a cinema, has now
reverted to its original
use, and can seat 500. It
is visited every three
weeks by the Midland
Arts Council Company,
whose productions are
of a standard much
higher than could be With alterations to the auditorium to suit new forms of
expected in a small entertainment, such as raising the floor to stage level,
town.’ on 21st February 1955 the Palace re-opened. With a
cafe built into the wing space it became a Roller
Skating Rink, then in 1959 the Palace Theatre became
a Dance Hall. Re-named the ‘New Palace Dance Hall’
it led a life of mixed use, including Dancing, Wrestling

Colin Wheeler and Roller Skating and in the late 1960s it was also
Remembers...... being used as a Bingo Hall.

“I was first involved as a
performer at the age of
14 in 1944 and appeared
as a tap dancer in the
“Show of Show's”
Company. This was the
Elsie Siddele Downing's
Redditch Stage School.
During the 1940s she
presented a week long
show every August and
an original pantomime,
written by her, every
January.”

1950s
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