HISTORY OF PICCADILLY THEATRE INCLUDES WHAT WAS DONE DURING THE RESTORATION
OVERVIEW
The Piccadilly Cinema Centre (formerly Piccadilly Theatre) and Piccadilly Arcade are located at 700-704 Hay Street, Perth, Western Australia. It is a art deco style cinema and shopping arcade, designed by architect William T. Leighton for mining entrepreneur Claude de Bernales. The theatre and arcade opened in 1938, with the arcade connecting Hay Street through to Murray Street. In 1984 the theatre and arcade underwent a significant refurbishment, with the refurbishment winning an architectural award from the Royal Australian Institute of Architecture (WA Chapter) in 1986.The theatre and arcade are classified by the National Trust of Australia and are included on the State Heritage Register. The Piccadilly Cinema is the only remaining operating cinema in the Perth central business district
HISTORY
The Piccadilly Theatre, was one of a number of theatres and cinemas constructed in Perth and its suburbs during the Inter-war period. Originally constructed in the Inter-war Functionalist style, the Piccadilly represented the desire for enjoyment and entertainment displayed by Western Australians towards the end of the Depression.At the time of its construction, the place was fitted out with the most modern features and was the first cinema in Western Australia to be air conditioned The site was acquired by Claude Albo de Bernales's Australian Machinery and Investment Company Ltd in 1935.Bernales after completing the construction of London Court in July 1937 turned his attention to his property between Hay and Murray Streets. He set up Piccadilly Arcade Pty Ltd and engaged architects Alfred Baxter Cox and Leighton to design a theatre and shopping arcade for the site.The construction of Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade utilised part of the existing buildings on the site, with the construction contract going to a local firm, General Construction Company. Piccadilly Arcade opened in February 1938, with the theatre opening, a month later, on 10 March 1938 When it opened the theate had a seating capacity of 1,100. The theatre and arcade feature a number of bas relief friezes of dancing girls and 'Atlas type' figures which were moulded by Perth sculptor Edward Kohle .Kohler was the second professionally trained sculptor to practise successfully in Western Australia.Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade remained under the ownership of Piccadilly Arcade Pty Ltd until 1978, when it changed hands a few times.In 1983, the owners Australian Fixed Trust (Permanent Trustee Nominees, Canberra) made a decision to restore Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade, and it was closed for refurbishment.Perth architect, Ian Tucker, was responsible for the work. The theatre and arcade reopened in March 1984. The $2 million (AUD) refurbishment won the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (WA Chapter) 'Architecture Design Award for Renovated Buildings' in 1986.Following the refurbishment, Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade was purchased for a reported $9.9 million by Alistair Norwood, the then owner of Jeans West In 1992, Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade was purchased by current owners Winston Holdings Pty Ltd, Su-Rama Holdings Pty Ltd and Ayoman Pty Ltd, as tenants in common. In the 1990s the theatre was redeveloped and now has three screens .Cinema one has been operating since the complex was redeveloped and has four hundred seats. The cinema still has it art deco design, the original tables and chairs in the foyer.On 4 March 2010, Alice in Wonderland became the first 3-D film to be shown at the cinema.On 23 March 2010, a thunder storm with conditions not seen in almost fifty years damaged the cinema, forcing its temporary closure. It is unknown exactly what damage was inflicted. The only information available is displayed on the website. The cinema re-opened after repair works were complete on 1 April 2010.
BEFORE AND AFTER RESTORATION
On 10 March 1938 the first theatre especially built for the Grand Theatre Co opened in Perth - the Piccadilly. It was situated above the Hay St end of the Piccadilly Arcade, which was a shopping arcade through to Murray St. It was designed in Art Deco style by William Leighton of Baxter-Cox and Leighton, and originally seated over one thousand, but repeated renovations over the years reduced that capacity to just over nine hundred.
The building is fully described by Ross Thorne (Cinemas of Australia via USA, pp.265-267). The rather severe exterior looked more like a fifties suburban cinema than one opening in the thirties, and survived into the eighties still appearing comparatively modern.
A policy of first-run releases, and a stress on the modernity of the building and its fixtures were the key images presented by the cinema. Carrier air conditioning cost £6,500 and provided automatic thermostatically-controlled temperature within the building, regardless of the temperature outside, or the number of patrons in the auditorium. A twenty-five passenger lift transported patrons to the foyer and was advertised as the only such lift in operation in any cinema in Australia:
'The furniture, in addition to being locally-made, has been specially designed here to suit the theatre and fit in with its colour schemes. From the 24 ducoed flower pots to the low divans in the foyers everything is original.
'The panel treatment of the walls, too, fits in with the general plan of the modern architecture of the theatre. A pastel green shade has been used in keeping with the coolness of the theatre.
'The lighting is on an elaborate scale and the drapings and carpets were imported for the theatre.
'The stage curtains have come from New York and there are many beautiful mirrors.' (Film World, 11 March 1938)
The Piccadilly could charge higher admission than the Grand: it was airconditioned from the start, and screened first run product in longer seasons than the weekly-release Grand. However, despite its superior position in the Grand Theatre Company hierarchy, it could not compete in prestige with the older and more luxurious Royal. All three were taken over in 1973 by the consortium which bought out City Theatres, and in 1978 by TVW Enterprises which took over complete control from the consortium.
In 1983 a thorough renovation transformed the cinema. The lower level was converted into a shopping arcade, and the lounge into a four hundred seat cinema, still called the Piccadilly. In deference to the origins of the theatre in the thirties, and in keeping with cyclical fashions in architecture, the whole remodelling was in Art Deco style, and much of the atmosphere of the original Piccadilly was retained. In fact it won the 1986 Architect's Design Award for Excellence in Renovation.
Chris Simmons describes the renovations like this:
'...the main screen was brought forward 10m. The upstairs section was brought forward and a new floor put in. The screen frame and gold velvet curtains with the original lifting gear were put in place. The curtains lift up not out like on most screens. They recreated the Art Deco look around the screen so you can’t tell the difference unless you know.'
In 1989 the venue was sold by Hoyts to Glen Darlington, of Classic Cinemas, and closed briefly in early 1990. Malcolm Leech then took over the lease, and converted a section of the disused stalls into a small cinema, making the Piccadilly into a twin, seating 443 in Cinema 1 and 165 in Cinema 2. He continued, screening Hong Kong movies in Cinema 2, but the lease of Cinema 1 went to Greater Union in the summer of 1991-2. Then Malcolm Leech turned the venue into a triplex (seating 443, 110 and 103), by adding Cinema 3 behind the main screen.
Chris Simmons again:
'Cinema 2 is on the left side of the old stalls and Cinema 3 is sideways behind the main screen with the left side siting above Cinema 2. So I guess it is in the stalls but it is right down in front of where the main screen was originally. The right side of the stalls is now a small foyer. The area was left unusable... fter the renovation in the 80s. Malcolm found it fairly easy to build Cinema 2 although it has a small screen and he was able to get a Projector from the closed Town Cinema. Cinema 3 had to have large steel beams put in for the steep floor which appeals to the younger ones more. Each row is .5m higher than the one in front so you always get an uninterrupted view. The air con is situated in the basement of the arcade and it is ducted up to the cinema through brick ducting. There are 2 large compressors that are the originals. They were rebuilt and converted to run on the newer gas. The main problem it had was gas leeks but since being rebuilt you could cool the cinema with only 1 compressor... The Piccadilly has heaps of character and is quite a contrast to today’s large complexes.
'I was a projectionist there and also did a lot of repairs including painting and I can tell you that there is a ghost. Several people saw it but it was harmless if not a little creepy... I was replacing the curtains with doors on the entry to cinema 1 late one night when my friend and I took a break. I was in the candy bar getting a drink when I saw a shadowy figure move across the entry to the lift. My friend didn’t believe me until he saw the same thing 15m latter. I’m sure it was a ghost as it gave us that kind of feeling that several other people have had there. The cleaner had to have all the lights and music going in order to do his work and when I was doing any late night repairs you would always hear noises but you got used to it. Apparently some years ago a customer was locked in and in the dark fell down the stairs and was found dead in the morning.'
The Piccadilly continued to operate into the new century, but Malcolm Leech leased it to Dennis McKenna in May 2001.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade was interim listed on the Register of the National Estate on 5 December 1988 and classified by the National Trust (WA) on 5 December 1988. The building(s) were also included on the City of Perth's Municipal Inventory. on 13 March 2001 and were permanently listed on the State Register of Heritage Places on 20 December 2002 by the Heritage Council of Western Australia.
HAUNTING
The complex is reportedly haunted by the ghost.of a former manager.It was stated on the CinemaWeb website but has since been removed, that the ghost was first discovered by a repairman fitting doors onto cinema one. He claimed to have seen it as a "shadowy figure" walking across the foyer to the lift. However, his account states that it was a customer, not a manager, who was locked in one night and fell down the stairs in the dark. The customer was found dead in the morning. It is also stated that in order to do his work properly, one of the cleaners had to have every light on and the pre-show music playing so that he would not be too scared.
In May 2013, it was revealed that a portion of the cinema's roof had collapsed due to poor maintenance.
In September 2013, the current leaseholder of the cinema, Cyril Watson, announced that the cinema would close at the end of the September school holidays. It is reportedly $400,000 in debt for unpaid rent.[10]