# Palace Theatre, Plymouth, Devon, March 2017



## HughieD (Mar 30, 2017)

*1. The History:*
This place is absolutely magnificent – one of the fines building I’ve ever seen I think. It’s the New Palace Theatre in Plymouth. It’s probably taken up more column-inches than any other news story in the Plymouth Herald than any other story. There’s absolutely loads about this place’s chequered history all over the internet. The disused theatre occupies a plot on Union Street, Plymouth, Devon. Originally opened in 1898 as a music hall and built in the Flemish Renaissance style, it was damaged by fire just three months after opening, and then re-opened in 1899 as the New Palace Theatre of Varieties. In 1961, in common with many old picture houses, it was converted into a bingo hall and then later reverted into a theatre and renamed The Palace Theatre. In 1983, when it became The Academy disco and finally operated as the Dance Academy in 1997, before being closed after Class A drugs were found on the premises. It has laid empty ever since. There’s a very extensive record of it all on wikipedia HERE

The recent history had been particularly controversial. When Manoucehr Bahmanzadeh acquired the building in 1997, he turned it into one of the top dance venues in the UK, attracting top DJs like Judge Jules, Lisa Lashes and Sasha. Inevitably in May 2006, after a five-month-long police operation, it was revealed that Ecstasy was regularly being dealt on the premises. The club was closed and Bahmanzadeh, resident DJ Costelloe and two other people were charged with permitting the supply of Class A drugs. In July 2008, Bahmanzadeh and Costelloe were found guilty of allowing the sale of a class A drug and were sentenced to jail terms of nine years and five years respectively. Bahmanzadeh was subsequently released from prison on bail on 13 July 2012.

Since 2006 there have been repeated calls to restore and say the iconic building. The local authority has repeatedly declined to commit any finances towards the restoration of the building. In 2015 in the South-East of England charity GO! (Great opportunities) purchased the venue on a 35 year lease off Bahmanzadeh. The charity planned to turn the empty venue into Plymouth's first ballroom while also being returned to a theatre again. Renovations started in May 2015 and were due to finish in 2018. However the charity is on the brink of quitting the project having been accused of mismanagement and a number of their contractors have complained of non-payment of monies for services rendered. Hence once again the future of this beautiful building is once again in doubt.

*2. The Explore:*
Or rather non-explore. No way in as the place has and is a live site with contractors working within the building, hence it was always going to be externals only and a few sneaky peeks inside. But with a façade as beautiful as this it would have been a shame not to share these pictures. And David Abel's excellent report on here from 2014 HERE will give you all you need in terms of internal shots.

*3. The Pictures:*
Let’s start with the nearby Grand Hotel pub, also empty:


img9351 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9354 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9357 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9358 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And onto the theatre itself:


img9374 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9360 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9362 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9363 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9346 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9368 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9371 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9343 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Sneaky peek inside:


img9365 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9372 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img9369 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And more of that amazing frontage:


img9345 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9340 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9349 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9344 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9341 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9339 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9336 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img9375 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Thanks for looking!


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## krela (Mar 31, 2017)

Better known as the Dance Academy nightclub to many yeah, I was there the night it got raided and shut down!


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## smiler (Mar 31, 2017)

Not seen this place for a few years, there were some great places on Union Street, Thanks for that Hughie, Proper Job.


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## HughieD (Mar 31, 2017)

smiler said:


> Not seen this place for a few years, there were some great places on Union Street, Thanks for that Hughie, Proper Job.



Cheers mate...just a shame I couldn't get inside.


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## prettyvacant71 (Apr 2, 2017)

What a grand building its wonderful! Love the tiles and paintings...you did really well getting them sort of internals from outside!


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## crazyjon (Jun 1, 2017)

Did a bit of work inside it January this year the place is in a bit of state today I will say this the place is very sealed up we do our best to keep folk out of it these days


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## RedX_unleashed (Jun 1, 2017)

I went here during my first year of university at a toga party in 1997. Union street, on which this property is located, hit the news many times afterwards for many reasons, most of them bad. I remember a price war soon after as competing clubs charged as little as 30p, yes thirty pence, a pint to lure patrons in. It became insane because bouncers never asked for ID - it was just about the money and beating rival clubs.

Eventually the police got involved of course.

Great explore btw, hope you enjoyed the extra history XD


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## RedX_unleashed (Jun 1, 2017)

smiler said:


> Not seen this place for a few years, there were some great places on Union Street, Thanks for that Hughie, Proper Job.



Man I used to practically live my life down there when I wasn't in lectures. You remember JFK's nightclub? Bit of a dive, but met my first GF in there XD. So many memories on that street it's insane.


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