The Pavilion Theatre and Ballroom is a concert hall in

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

. It opened in 1929 and has been redesigned several times since.

History

The area around

Bournemouth Gardens Bournemouth Gardens is a neighborhood in the eastern area of Kingston, Jamaica, off of Kingston Harbour Kingston Harbour in Jamaica is the seventh-largest natural harbour in the world. It is an almost landlocked area of water approximately lo ...

was granted permission by the owners in 1859 to incorporate a public pleasure ground. Discussions for a fixed entertainment venue took place during the 1880s, and as part of the 1892 Bournemouth Improvement Act, the council were granted £20,000 for constructing a pavilion in the gardens, which could accommodate a municipal orchestra. These plans were continually blocked by local residents who felt that licensed premises for drinking were immoral. A fixed plan for a venue in the gardens was approved in 1908, but saw further delays and was consequently postponed until after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. By the 1920s, the orchestra felt that the Bournemouth Winter Gardens was no longer a suitable venue and requested a more accommodating hall be built. In 1923, a competition was held to design the concert room, chaired by Edwin Cooper. The winners were by G Wyville Home and Shirley Knight, whose design was consulted with Owen Williams. Construction began in September 1925 with the laying of the foundation stone.(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.). "Music Pavilion For Bournemouth." Times, 24 Sept. 1925, p. 10. The Times Digital Archive, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS168892728/TTDA?u=kccl&sid=TTDA&xid=344faf91. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020. On 19 March 1929, the building was opened by the Duke of Gloucester. It had cost £250,000. In the early 1930s, the Pavilion was rebuilt to accommodate theatrical productions as well as orchestras. It re-opened with a production of ''

The White Horse Inn The White Horse Inn (German: ''Im weißen Rößl'') or White Horse Inn may refer to: *The White Horse Inn (play), ''The White Horse Inn'' (play), a 1897 play by Oscar Blumenthal and Gustav Kadelburg *The White Horse Inn (operetta), ''The White Hors ...

'' on 7 July 1934. Several alterations were undertaken in the 1950s, including the addition of two storeys to either side of the main entrance. In 1975, the Oasis Bar was added as a western extension of the hall. This proved to be unpopular, and was demolished in 2007 when the theatre underwent a £12 million restoration programme. The building was

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

on 19 January 1998. It is currently owned by

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, which styles itself BCP Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. Th ...

and managed by BH Live. The Pavilion operates alongside its sister venue, the

Bournemouth International Centre The Bournemouth International Centre (commonly known as the BIC ) in Bournemouth, Dorset, was opened in September 1984. It is one of the largest venues for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events in southern England. Additionally, it ...

. In 2019,

Lenny Henry Sir Lenworth George Henry (born 29 August 1958) is a British Jamaicans, British-Jamaican comedian, actor and writer. He gained success as a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in ' ...

complained that a historical photograph in the pavilion's dressing room, showing actors in

blackface Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...

, was outdated, racist and offensive. A spokesman for the pavilion apologised.

References

Citations Sources *

External links

Bournemouth International Conference Bureau
{{Bournemouth Buildings and structures in Bournemouth Theatres in Dorset Tourist attractions in Bournemouth Arts University Bournemouth Grade II listed buildings in Dorset Grade II listed theatres