Dates

• Existence: c1855 - 18 May 1957

Biography

The Theatre Royal Bilston was situated on Mount Pleasant southeast of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

The Theatre Royal was first built in the mid 1850s and later rebuilt in 1902 under the management of Harry Battersby also ran the Wednesbury Hippodrome. At that time the theatre showed a repertoire of melodrama, pantomimes and occasional variety shows.

In 1910 the lease of the theatre passed from Harry Battersby to Edwin C. Jazon, who also ran the Theatre Royal at West Bromwich. Jazon added films to the programme and by 1912 the theatre was renamed The Royal Hippodrome and Picture Theatre.

In 1924 the lease changed hands once again when it was taken over by Woods Picture Halls. Wood Picture Halls continued to present a variety programme until 1932 when they turned the theatre into a cinema. The Theatre Royal operated as a cinema for the following two years after which variety shows were reinstated.

In 1936 the theatre was then taken over by Astel Pictures and by 1938 they were presenting a season of dramatic plays.

During the Second World War the Theatre closed for a while and when it reopened it had gone back to its variety roots. However, variety shows started to decline during the post war due to the advent of television and the popularity of cinemas and by the 1950s they were mainly populated by nude reviews, which tainted the image of variety shows.

The Theatre Royal closed its doors on 18 May 1957. The building was purchased by the local Council in 1961 and demolished.

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