Building Name

(Cameo) News Theatre 152 Victoria Street London SW1

Date
1936 - 1937
District/Town
London SW1
County/Country
Greater London, England
Work
New build

Often confused with the Victoria News Theatre, the Cameo News Theatre Victoria was unconnected with the Station venue. It had a very narrow frontage from which a long narrow foyer led down to the free standing auditorium. The theatre held 604 and had good sightlines on a well raked single floor. The upper walls and ceiling were finished in combed plaster, with horizontal bands on the lower walls. Either side of the screen was a a decorative grille with concealed lighting and down the centre of the ceiling was a trough also with hidden lighting.  By the late 1940's the cinema had become a repertory house with short programs of 'art' films, which proved very popular. It was taken over by Classic in 1967 and its fortunes began to decline but it was not until September 21, 1980 that it finally closed. After being used for retail purposes for a while, the auditorium was demolished along with the nearby Metropole Cinema to be replaced by an office block. The foyer remained in use as a Bella Pasta Restaurant.

Reference    Builder 3 July 1936 Page 40
Reference    Builder 17 July 1936 Page 131
Reference    Architectural Review Vol 80 July-Dec 1936 page lxiii - advert
Reference    City of Westminster Archives Victoria News Theatre, 152 Victoria Street  WCC: Acc 38/17  12 Mar 1936   1 Feb 1937