In 2020, Swansea’s Palace Theatre had been crumbling for over a decade when the local council took on the herculean task of returning it to its former glory. But now, four years, £10 million and a lot of TLC later, the theatre is almost ready to reopen.
The Grade II-listed building first opened in 1888 and lived several lives as a traditional music hall, a bingo hall, a private gay club and a nightclub, before closing in 2007. Over the decades, it earned some serious cultural clout.
The Palace was the first place in Wales to show a silent film and is one of the last purpose-built music halls standing in the UK. The place was also where some big time stars made their first foray into performing. Charlie Chaplin showed off his clog dancing there in 1899, aged ten and Anthony Hopkins made his professional debut at the Palace Theatre in 1960.
Lots of the original Victorian features have been restored, including the arch around the stage the balustrades, the pully for the stage curtain and the red bricks. Once doors reopen, it will be used as a coffee shop and offices. By night it will become an events space, with the stage being put to use.
The building will be leased by Tramshed Tech, which has been working with architects and builders to preserve as much of the original building as possible. It’s also in conversation with local artists to turn the fire curtain into a piece of artwork.
If all goes smoothly, Palace Theatre is set to officially reopen in September.
UK heritage with Time Out
The UK has places of historic and/or cultural significance on practically every corner – and several of those structures have been the focus of restoration and conservation campaigns in recent months. On Time Out we’ve covered how Edinburgh’s legendary Summerhall has been saved (for now), how the UK’s oldest chalk outline has had a huge glow-up and Dover Castle revealing a new ‘secret entrance’.
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