In this series of short articles, we would like to introduce you to some of the highlights of living in Newark on Trent.
The wonderful gem that is our Palace Theatre is on Appletongate, just off the market square, has been celebrating its Centenary this year. 100 years ago, the Palace Theatre opened its doors on Monday 5th July 1920. The Palace Theatre is one of Newark's main entertainment venues, offering drama, live music, dance and film, as well as an annual panto.
It was built by local entrepreneur Emily Blagg, who had already opened Newark’s first cinema, the Kinema on Baldertongate in 1913 and well as building both The Park and Lime Grove. At a time when suffragettes were fighting for female independence, Emily was already making huge strides in a male-dominated world. She had purchased the Chauntry House, a former residence of Queen Anne in Appletongate, Newark but Emily had greater visions for the site and subsequently demolished the building and built the Palace Theatre Newark as a picture house in its place.
The Palace Theatre was built as a vision of art deco, with a neo-Byzantine style. The first performance at the theatre was a screening of King Solomon’s Mines. Although the Palace was opened as a cinema it was also fitted with a sizeable stage and orchestra pit to allow for changing tastes and within a year the Palace was also being used for live events. The theatre recently invested in a brand new state of the art HALO-C sound system.
Many famous names have trod the boards at the Palace Theatre. The original Miss Marple, Margaret Rutherford has performed there, in 1921 prima ballerina Anna Pavolva graced the stage and even Cliff Richard rocked the stage in 1950. More recently Bernie Clifton, Jason Manford, Jimmy Carr, Joan Armatrading, Jason Donovan, Pasha Kovalev and many more famous names, have trod the boards at the Palace Theatre, although the use of the theatre as a cinema has long since been superceded by live performances.
In 2015, the National Civil War Centre and Newark Museum opened next to the Palace Theatre in to interpret Newark's part in the English Civil War in the 17th century and explore its wider implications.
Sadly, due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent local and national lockdowns, the planned Centenary celebrations for the Palace Theatre Newark have had to be postponed but it will not stay dark forever and is looking forward to its 101th year when we can all sit together and enjoy some fabulous entertainment in this historic building.
The picture shows the Palace Theatre Newark circa 1923.
