Who knew! I love this quirky story of the Sunderland picture house which became part of a brewery
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What a change of use that must have been! This Sunderland building had once packed in 2,500 people to watch live shows.
But after its demise, the Avenue Theatre in Gill Bridge Avenue got a brand new use - as part of Vaux Brewery.
It finished its life as a bottling plant and now the story has been shared with thousands of people in the Sunderland Antiquarian Society newsletter.
Society secretary Philip Curtis told us more.
The Avenue Theatre used to be one of Sunderland’s best loved theatres but it already had an intriguing history before it was even built.
Clowns, juggling and music hall
The theatre was built on the site of a former circus featuring a clown and a juggler. Then it was converted into a wooden music hall by a Sunderland song and dance artist.
And when that finally met its demise, the theatre was created and became only the fourth in Sunderland after the Royal in Bedford Street, the Lyceum in Lambton Street and the Wear Music Hall in Drury Lane.
It opened to a packed house of 2,500 people who got to watch a farcical comedy in a venue which had the latest safety measures. It had a dozen exits with doors which opened outwards.
It was one pence to get into Tindle’s Pictures
Perhaps its most famous stage stars was Sir Henry Irving who was on stage 121 years ago, but the theatre went into decline and closed.
Yet another change of use followed when it became a picture hall. It was soon showing silent films and became a hit known as Tindle’s Pictures.
Admission was one penny and it was so cheap even back then that people would pay the admission fee just to get out of the rain.
The good times continued throughout the 1920s and The Avenue was soon putting on live shows as well as silent films.
A new future as a bottling hall
But another arrival meant the beginning of the end and that was talking pictures.
Purpose-built cinemas began to arrive in Sunderland and The Avenue could not compete as it did not have the facilities for sound.
It closed in 1932 and the debate started on what would happen next. People thought it would be rebuilt as a cinema but that plan never happened.
The final performance was by the Sunshine Sally Company and at the end, company manager Victor Gammon made a farewell speech. He gave a poem which contained the names of everyone who had played a part in the theatre.
Find out more about the Antiquarian Society
A new future followed when the building was eventually taken over by Vaux Brewery. They kept the original entrance and incorporated it into a new building which was used as a bottling hall.
The brewery was demolished in 1999 and the land’s future was set for a new development.
Our thanks go to Philip for sharing the article which is one of many excellent features in the latest Society newsletter, which is issued to all members.
You can find out more about the Antiquarian Society by getting along to its Heritage Centre which is open in Douro Terrace on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 12pm.
You can also visit the Antiquarian Society’s Facebook page or its website which is at http://www.sunderland-antiquarians.org
And to become a member, email [email protected]