It’s been 100 years since the Floral Pavilion Theatre first opened its doors in its original incarnation as an open-air pavilion and bandstand with a programme of variety turns under General Manager Howard Innes.
As many Walrus readers will know, the site was originally home to the Ham & Egg Parade, a row of shops and guest houses with a scandalous reputation. Locally known as an unpopular eyesore, the buildings were demolished to make way for the Victoria Gardens which incorporated the Floral Pavilion and opened on 3rd May 1913.
Since 1913 the building has seen a number of alterations and improvements, including the auditorium being enclosed with glass in 1925 and a new stage, dressing rooms and metal-sheeting outer walls in 1965 and 1966. Finally, the theatre was demolished and completely re-built in 2008 to be re-opened by Ken Dodd on 13th December of that year.
The Floral Pavilion is celebrating this remarkable milestone with a fantastic Centenary Concert, affectionately titled With A Little Help From Our Friends and featuring a number of Floral Pavilion favourites on the 3rd May 2013.