Theatr Colwyn

Image: © Gerald England Taken: 10 Jul 2014

Work began on the Abergele Road building in 1885, by the newly formed Public Hall Company. The first group recorded as using the hall was the congregation of St Paul's Church, whose Iron Church had burnt down. Services were held at the hall until 1888. The venue was also used for a wide range of events including glittering military balls held by the Royal Welch Fusiliers, political rallies, shadowgraph shows, and illustrated lectures and, after 1901, plays direct from London's West End. The Public Hall also became the 'public' face of the world famous Congo Institute, based nearby. Reverend William Hughes, its founder, was also minister of the still standing Welsh Baptist Church, which is a few doors away. The venue was taken over by the impresario and performer Harry Reynolds, who had the Public Hall converted in 1909 into Colwyn Bay’s first 'picture house' with the installation of the electric light and a modern auditorium, after obtaining one of the first proper licences to screen moving pictures. In 1922 the business was sold to Coastal Cinemas and the name was changed to The Rialto. It closed in 1930 and suffered fire damage, but after repairs reopened in 1936 as The New Rialto Repertory Theatre until 1951. In 1959 the council bought the building and it became known as The Prince of Wales, with a new repertory company, London theatre manager, Geoffrey Hastings. In 1991, as part of a modernisation programme, the name of the venue changed again, this time to Theatr Colwyn. http://colwynbayheritage.org.uk/history/history-test/ Theatr Colwyn is now the oldest operating cinema in the UK. Funding totalling £50,000 from the North Wales Coast Regeneration Fund as part of the Bay Life+ Regeneration Programme and Arts Council of Wales to replace traditional 35mm film projection with the latest in Sony 4K digital film projection has made Theatr Colwyn the most technically advanced cinema in North Wales. The theatre seats 329 people (including wheelchair spaces) and hosts a wide variety of performances ranging from dance and drama to rock music concerts, Welsh language shows and a very popular Christmas pantomime. Theatre website: http://www.theatrcolwyn.co.uk/about

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