Report - The Opera House - Workington - November 2019

[Speed]

The Workington Opera House was one of the last of the 'old skool' of derp cinemas that have been on my radar as 'definitely pretty epic yet largely unexplored' for over a decade now. Its a strange one tucked down the back of a row of modern ish looking shops with no real frontage. Ive checked it out several times but its a long way to keep going to find nothing had changed and theres still no prospect of entry. There are a few sets of photos out there from around 2010 when people had been let in with permission that showed it to be a fairly well preserved example with lights on, no visible decay and i was told it was definitely alarmed of course! In 2017 the building was sold however, apparently to a demolition company and on subsequent visits it had started to look very unloved (if thats even possible for a theatre with no frontage!) This time the neglect had got so bad we finally made it in!

Inside was a real surprise. I didn't expect it to be mint at all but it has suffered so badly in the last decade it was really pretty shocking how rotten and hanging it had become. No worries about alarms or whether we could get the lights to work, not only had most of them fallen off the ceiling the ceiling had fallen off too! We carefully skirted around getting photos but some parts were just to rotten to risk. It was very much akin the the Burnley Empire when i first did that, it may look like it will take your weight but thats just because no ones tried to walk over it for fucking ages!

All in all a decent mooch and really happy not to have missed it but disappointing to find it in that state. 7/10

The Opera House dates from 1927 when it replaced the earlier Queens Jubilee Hall after a fire. It was designed as a live theatre but was soon operated as a cinema under the control of Graves Cinemas Ltd.

The proscenium width was 46 feet and the stage was 30 feet deep, there were 10 dressing rooms.

The auditorium was a fine theatre with a single balcony, the shape of the hall was wide and not too deep, giving excellent sightlines from all seats. In the centre of the ceiling is a dome with a plaster sunburst feature. Around the top of the stage wall is an intricate frieze.

The Opera House eventually became a bingo hall, but this too has recently closed as the club moved to new premises. Its future is in doubt.

Originally opened as the Queen's Jubilee Hall & Opera House - a small theatre with two balconies. Gutted by fire in 1927 and rebuilt completely as a cine-theatre except for part of the structural walls on one side. The narrow street front has been rebuilt in an aluminium and glass. Fine, wide auditorium with one balcony intact from 1927 rebuild. Ornamental ceiling with sunburst and mask. Stage has false ceiling. Understage used as bar with entry through orchestra pit and band doors. Modernised foyer now sold/let as retail outlet with no access to theatre. Apart from the ceiling and a decorative frieze running the full width of the proscenium wall, there is little in the way of plaster decoration. The theatre has good sightlines and a large stage, and is situated centrally in the town centre, so with careful (and minimal) adaptation the building could function well as an amateur theatre or community facility. Outline planning permission was granted in 2010 and in 2013 to demolish the Opera House and construct retail units on the site. Local group, Save Workington Opera House, and the press had been campaigning to save the building. In 2012, a new company, Opera Action (Workington) Limited was set up, its aims to purchase, restore and reopen the building. However, with the owner Graves not prepared to lease the Opera House and the Workington’s Carnegie Theatre and Arts Centre being transferred to a charitable not-for-profit company the group has disbanded. In 2017 Graves (Cumberland) Ltd sold the building to PGC 365 Limited.

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[host]

Lovely what a shame it’s ended up in such a bad state.

 

[Camera Shy]

Still well worth a look, defo has some Burnley empire vibe about it. Glad the perseverance paid off.

 

[dweeb]

Glad you shot some of the other bits, I seemed overly obsessed with the ceiling!!
I'll stick some different perspectives later.

 

[Olkka]

Great to see photos of these far out towns’ cinemas regardless of the state, thanks for sharing

 

[SpiderMonkey]

Fuck that's nice. Had a go at this a while back with no luck. Nice to finally see the inside!

 

[Lenston]

Nice that, reminds me of the Plaza in Port Talbot.

 

[Exploring with Andy]

After seeing the state of the roof earlier this year I pretty much expected it to be a soggy mess inside, but it still looks pretty good for it really. Nice to see what it's like inside.

 

[dweeb]

Speed covered a bit more the place than I did with the photos, but I felt the main event was the roundel in the ceiling. Rather unique I thought!

 

[dweeb]

I also found the ghost staircase interesting... Obviously from the building before the fire destroyed it and covered over until the damp has revealed it again.

 

[Camera Shy]

Couple of skanky smack heads living in here before crimbo, watch out for needles amongst the mess if any one else has a look.

 

[Speed]

Dont think i noticed the face in the ceiling!

 

[horrgakx]

I walked past it yesterday, it has now been completely demolished.