The Playhouse is a Wetherspoon's pub in Colchester, Essex, the building of which was previously The Playhouse Theatre. Originally opened in 1929, the theatre became the A.B.C. in the 1960s, and it was redeveloped into a pub in 1994.
History
The Playhouse Theatre was built in 1929 by John Fairweather; and the first production in 1929 was the Winter Garden Theatre's So This Is Love. [1] In 1930, The Playhouse became a cinema, the interior was redesigned in 1931, and in 1932, the cinema was taken over by Associated British Cinemas. [1] [2] The building was redeveloped in 1962, and renamed the A.B.C. In 1981, the building was taken over by EMI, who used it as a bingo hall. [2] After renovation, the building reopened as a Wetherspoon's pub in 1994. [3] [4]
References
- ^ a b "Playhouse (Colchester)". The Theatres Trust. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ a b Cooper, Janet; Elrington, CR (1994). "A History of the County of Essex: Volume 9, the Borough of Colchester". Victoria County History. pp. 298–303. Retrieved 30 May 2016 – via British History Online.
- ^ Phillips, Andrew (November 2013). Colchester 24. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781445627526. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- ^ Parkes, Tom (19 March 2009). "Eighty years on, Playhouse pub remembers its theatrical roots". Essex County Standard. Retrieved 1 June 2016.