Weymouth - The Electric Palace - geograph

Alexandra Gardens Theatre was a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

at Weymouth,

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

, England. Originally known as the Alexandra Gardens Concert Hall, it was opened in 1924 and later converted into an

amusement arcade An amusement arcade (often referred to as a video arcade, amusements or simply arcade) is a venue where people play arcade games, including arcade video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers (such as cl ...

in 1963. The building was destroyed by fire in 1993 and replaced with a new building which is still in use as the Electric Palace Amusement Arcade.

History

The site of the theatre was originally reclaimed land used for grazing since the early 19th century. In 1869, the site was transformed and opened as New Gardens, and later renamed Alexandra Gardens in 1880. In 1913, the gardens' bandstand of 1891 was enclosed within a building of glass to form the Kursaal, allowing audiences to enjoy band performances in all weathers. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the Kursaal served as a reception centre for injured soldiers of the

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood comma ...

(ANZAC) who were accommodated in local camps following the Gallipoli Campaign. The Kursaal was later demolished and replaced by the Weymouth Corporation with the Alexandra Gardens Concert Hall, which was opened on 7 June 1924 by the Mayor of Weymouth. The gardens' bandstand was relocated to

Nothe Gardens Nothe Gardens is a public garden, located in Weymouth, Dorset, England. Positioned on the Nothe Peninsula overlooking both Weymouth and Portland harbours, the informal gardens are often acclaimed to be the most beautiful the borough has to offer. ...

. The hall was requisitioned for military use during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and reopened again in 1945. The hall, later renamed Alexandra Gardens Theatre, closed in 1963 and was taken over by Holland Leisure, who converted it into the Electric Palace Amusement Arcade. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1993 and replaced with a new family leisure and amusement centre by Holland Leisure. Planning permission was approved in November 1993, and the building was built to resemble the shape of the Kursaal.

References

{{coord, 50.6084, -2.4516, format=dms, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Former theatres in England Buildings and structures in Weymouth, Dorset 1924 establishments in England 1963 disestablishments in England Theatres in Dorset