Futurist Theatre
AddressForeshore Road
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
England
Coordinates54°16′56″N 0°23′38″W / 54.282360°N 0.394000°W / 54.282360; -0.394000
OwnerScarborough Borough Council
Capacity2,155
Current useDemolished (2018)[1]
Construction
Opened1921
Closed2014
Years active93
ArchitectFrank Tugwell

The Futurist Theatre was a theatre and cinema in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It was located on Foreshore Road, on the sea front of the South Bay.

The Futurist Theatre was built to the design of Scarborough architect Frank A. Tugwell and opened on 27 June 1921 as a cine-variety theatre operated by William Catlin (Catlin Entertainments Ltd). The Futurist could seat 2,393.[2]

Originally it boasted a grandiose, ornate façade of robust, self-cleaning white glazed Carraraware tiles, the design of Henry Doulton, although this was later majorly obscured during spring 1968 by a 'facelift' of rectangular plain yellow cladding.[2] However, once the cladding was removed (under cover) around 2018, the tiles were judged to still be in a reasonable condition for their age.[3][4]

Its fitting out included an Abbott and Smith 3 Manual 45 stop organ, played by Horace Shepherd. By the end of 1929, a Western Electric sound system had been installed to the cinema, and 1954 saw the addition of a CinemaScope and 38 foot wide screen.[2]

Plans for a radical stage redesign by Captain J. H. Ritson were approved in early November 1957, stretching it a further 4 foot into the auditorium. Extra dressing rooms were to be positioned on the roof of the Arcadia/Palladium next door and the organ removed. This was undertaken from September 1958 once the twice nightly 'The Cyril Stapleton Band Show' had finished and although Plaxtons Builders kept at it 24 hours a day in the final weeks, they still overran – allowing the next summer production a single stage rehearsal before its opening night! During this redevelopment films were dropped.[2]

Another dramatic change came about during late 1966/early 1967 courtesy of Cassidy, Farrington & Dennys architects when the stage was lengthened 15 feet backward into the former Arcadia/Palladium auditorium, which also added a stage tower.[2]

The Beatles performed there twice, on 11 December 1963 and on 9 August 1964. The popular The Black and White Minstrel Show to perform there many times when it was owned (between 1966 and 1974) by Robert Luff, the producer of the stage version.[5][6] The extension to the stage meant the closure of the adjacent Arcadia Theatre which became a lounge.

A new Todd-AO system integrated in May 1968 allowed the Futurist to begin showing films again.[2]

Around the same time, a balcony was mounted above the circle allowing the theatre to accommodate 2,155 seats.[2] The Futurist had the twelfth largest capacity of a theatre in the country, and the fifth largest outside London.[7]

The theatre closed on 6 January 2014 after the operator's lease expired. The building was demolished by August 2018.

During the 1980s, Scarborough Borough Council took over the property and leased the theatre to Apollo Leisure Ltd (UK), who ran it until September 2002.

In December 2002, Barrie C. Stead, who also runs the Hollywood Plaza cinema, took over the Futurist and refurbished the theatre and cinema, installing new projectors, DTS sound system and a new CinemaScope screen.

Annually, the theatre predominately maintained consistent acts throughout the months of July and August.

In the winter of 2011, the Futurist managed to attract over 16,000 people during eight sell-out performances of Calendar Girls produced by David Pugh.[8]

On 9 January 2017, Scarborough Borough Council voted to demolish the theatre, by the narrowest of margins (22–21).[9] The decision was a controversial one, as not all the councillors voted, and many locals and visitors alike, would have preferred the venue to be saved, restored and modernised. The fate of the site is uncertain. However, interest has been shown from the Flamingoland group, who gave a large donation to the incumbent conservative party prior to the ramping up of the parties campaign to demolish the building.[10][11][12] Demolition of the building began in June 2018[1] and was completed in August 2018.[13] The demolition and associated land works cost local tax-payers £3.91 million[14]

Plans for a new Flamingo Land attraction on the site were revealed in February 2019.[15] Gordon Gibb, Chief Executive of Flamingoland announced in January 2022, that the company had reluctantly withdrawn its interest in the site, due to differences in development plans between the company and the local council.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 "Scarborough Futurist Theatre demolition begins". BBC News. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Futurist Theatre in Scarborough, GB – Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. ↑ Sheppard, Shirley (18 November 2016). "Letter: Futurist theatre's hidden facade is a rare find". Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. ↑ Greaves, J. (23 August 2018). "Futurist Theatre is lost to future generations". Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Robert Luff – Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. 23 February 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  6. ↑ Duncan, Ian (24 February 2009). "Tributes flood in for former theatre owner". Scarborough Evening News. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  7. ↑ Ritchie, John (12 February 2009). "Futurist 'needs millions for its long-term future'". Scarborough Evening News. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  8. ↑ "Calendar Girls wow the Futurist". Scarborough News. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "Scarborough Futurist Theatre demolition plans approved amid angry protest". BBC News. BBC. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  10. ↑ "Flamingo Land Tory Donations III". North Yorks Enquirer. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  11. ↑ "Flamingo Land Tory Donations V". North Yorks Enquirer. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  12. ↑ "More Flamingo Land Tory Donations". North Yorks Enquirer. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "Scarborough futurist theatre demolished". Yorkshire Coast Radio News. Yorkshire Coast Radio. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  14. ↑ Gavaghan, Carl (26 October 2017). "Theatre's fate in hands of MP". The Scarborough News. Retrieved 6 June 2023 – via Pressreader.
  15. ↑ "More Flamingo Land Scarborough Plans Revealed". Yorkshire Coast Radio. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  16. ↑ Buksmann, George (27 January 2022). "Flamingo Land withdraws interest for theme park plans at Scarborough's Futurist site". The Scarborough News. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
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