A Mark Masons Day Out.
 
Stockport Plaza Restoration Project.
 
The Plaza Stockport, Mersey Square, Stockport.
 
Being someone who has been a singer in Bands since about the age of sixteen years I always fancied going on this Behind the Scenes Tour of the wonderfully Restored Theatre in Stockport, my wife and I are regular visitors to watch mostly musical themed acts and of course never miss the Christmas Panto, oh no we don’t.
The Plaza Stockport
Stage Curtains
Inside Ticket Office
Anyway they advertised a special Dads Army Behind the Scenes Tour and I thought that’s the one for me arriving at approx 10.30 you could take tea & crumpets or whatever took your fancy in the sumptuous fully restored Art Deco Cafe. Following on from tea we were greeted by several members of staff attired in morning suits complete with dickey bows who are for the most part volunteers and taken down into the stalls for the start of the tour.
Outside Ticket Office
Way down below
Typical Dressing Room
The Theatre was built in 1932 in the heart of Stockport, the original design was based closely on the Regal Cinema in Altrincham built in 1931 and was sadly destroyed by fire in 1956. The Plaza was a particularly difficult cinema to build due to the sandstone cliff at the rear of the building from which 10,000 tons of rock had to be quarried to a depth of 42 feet, it had to be secured to the rock face by 111 rock bolts. The building had to be adapted around the limitations of the site, notwithstanding its towering bowled tiled facade dominates Mersey Square.
Star Dressing Room
Now That’s a Small door

Behind the screens set up for films

As with other super cinemas the whole concept was to literally create fantastic surroundings to compliment the dream like experience of film entertainment for people accustomed to a hard life of a Northern Industrial Town. Designed in Neoclassical, Egyptian Moorish and Art Deco style it was illuminated by 6000 bulbs around the auditorium in three base colours which could re create the rainbow.
Tie Offs
Viewing Screens
One of the Guides
The opening show took place on the Fri 7th October 1932 and featured the film “Jailbirds” starring Laurel and Hardy along with “Out Of The Blue” with Gene Gerrard and Jessie Mathews, along with the resident organist Cecil Chadwick at the Mighty Compton Organ, which is still in use today.
The Stalls
Stencil Ready to be Gilded
View from second tier with a guide
Since its glory days and falling attendances it was bought by Mecca to be opened as a Bingo Hall in 1965 but the council initially refused permission as they believed it reduced the opportunities for the community to enjoy this type of cultural and entertainment facility, however Mecca took the appeal to the Government and ultimately won, hence the theatre closed on the 31st December 1966 with the films “Three on A Couch” starring Jerry Lewis and “The Texican” starring Audie Murphy. Opening for Bingo on the 6th February 1967, Mecca made a lot of alterations which included the loss of stage facilities which were even changed over to a Bingo area, also at one stage a nightclub was tried called Samantha’s in the former cafe area. Lots of the original features thankfully were boarded over and ultimately this helped in the restoration of the theatre, the decision was taken to close the Bingo Hall on the 23rd August 1998.
Stars who have appeared
Austin at the Control Centre

Austin & Linda enjoying the Tour

It had been grade 2 listed by English Heritage by then and was the only building in the Stockport area still capable of full size theatre and entertainment use. The Plaza had been identified as the best surviving super cinema in the North of England and it was on its closure that a remarkable combination of circumstances was to take a hand.  In 2000 the Stockport Plaza Trust formed to save, protect and operate the Plaza reopened the venue, with a dedicated team of volunteers and a handful of paid staff, who in the following years raised over £3m for the first stage of the Plaza restoration and who assist in operating the Plaza to this day, in its Super Cinema and Variety Theatre guise.
View through the projection hole
Digital Projector
That’s the history in short what I can tell you is it’s well worth a trip, the restoration is stunning and continues week in week out, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit which lasted over two hours and went to all parts of the theatre from down in the subterranean dressing rooms up as far as you can go to the film projection room, the guides were brilliant and could answer any questions, even about the lady ghost who lives at the side of the stage!!
Original Reel to Reel Projector
Fully Restored Cafe
Incoming Satellite Projection
Hope this was of some interest to you, we have our tickets for this year’s Panto “Peter Pan”, yes we have, oh no you haven’t. Regards Austin Fletcher.