A historic piece of Waltham Forest is set to be restored. The site at 186 Hoe Street in East London has been at the heart of local entertainment since 1887 when it opened as The Victoria Music Hall. Films were screened there as far back as 1896 (mere months after the Lumiere Brothers put on the first UK public screening by projecting their strips of film at Regent Street Polytechnic), and soon surpassed live acts with the Music Hall being converted into the area’s first dedicated cinema 11 years later in 1907.
The grandness of The Granada Cinema even featured in publications as far away as Hollywood when it opened in 1930.
Further development was undertaken in 1930, with the building being completely rebuilt as ‘The Granada Cinema’, a 2,697 seat cinema with exteriors by Cecil Masey and interior decorations by Theodore Komisarjevsky in a fascinating blend of Art Deco/ Baroque and Moorish designs. It is believed that ‘The Granada’ was the place where local lad Alfred Hitchcock would enjoy watching films, a habit that would continue into the time when Walthamstow became a hot-bed for the UK Film Industry.
It has a long history as a multi-purpose venue, with legendary acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Duke Ellington, The Who, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly having all played gigs there.
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are just two in a list of legends who performed at The Granada.
The final live gig came in 1973 when the beautifully large audience capacity was carved up into 2 smaller cinema screens.
The cinema changed hands (and names) many times over the the past 80 years, being known by locals as The Granada Cinema, MGM, Virgin, Odeon, ABC, and finally EMD Cinema when it closed its doors in 2003. At that time it was the only cinema in the world to still have a working Christie Organ installed, a staple of that fascinating period of time when Music Halls and Vaudeville performers gave way to ‘The Movies’ and Film Stars. English Heritage awarded it Grade 2* Listed building status in recognition of its outstanding architectural and cultural significance.
The cinema was quickly purchased by controversial group ‘Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG)’ with the intention of converting the building into a church, which led to a campaign against these plans by locals and backed by Patricia Hitchcock (daughter of legendary Director and Waltham Forest born Alfred Hitchcock), Alan Davies, Tony Robinson, The Waltham Forest Film Society and The McGuffins.
Whilst the UCKG fought for planning permission, and against local opinion, the building was allowed to fall into disrepair.
Tense discussions on the future of the building took place at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, which saw frustrated locals face off against the congregation of the UCKG, which were ‘bused in’ in large numbers from other parts of the country.
Locals considered it a reasonable solution, especially as in the intervening years Walthamstow had seen a cinema open up in close proximity.
However, this morning in a surprise move, Waltham Forest Council (undoubtably emboldened by its recent win of being named the 1st ‘London Borough of Culture’) have announced they have purchased the building for £2.6 million and in partnership with The Soho Theatre, will restore and return the building to public use as a 1,000 theatre. Like its sister venue in W1, the focus will be comedy, but unlike typical Soho Theatre fare, will also include film screenings and an annual pantomime – an East End tradition.
Steve Marmion, artistic director of the Soho Theatre said “When we get the keys, we will fill this fantastic building with a 21st Century vision of cine-variety, bringing the best in comedy, cabaret, theatre, screenings and special events to its stages, foyers and spaces”.
Waltham Forest Council Leader, Clare Coghill (Labour Party) said “We see restoring this iconic site as a major boost to the long term economy making the area a magnet for people across London to visit and enjoy”.
The ‘derelict years’, a sad ghost for anyone of a certain age who grew up in the area and remembers its former glory. Photo by secretlondon123
Comedian Dara O’Briain of The Theatres Trust said “The glorious former Granada in Walthamstow has been on the Theatres Trust’s Theatres At Risk Register for a number of years… it is fantastic to hear that it will finally be fully restored and reopened. I’m particularly excited that with Soho Theatre, comedy will be at the heart of the programme, filling a gap for a 1,000 seat venue dedicated to comedy in London”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said “I welcome this fantastic news about a much loved and iconic entertainment venue. London’s cultural heritage is the foundation of why people love to live, visit and do business here and this investment just adds to Waltham Forest’s cultural infrastructure as the first ever London Borough of Culture’.
Musician Professor Green states “East London would benefit from restoring the EMD Cinema back to it’s 1930’s state of glory. Arts and culture are for everyone”.
Comedian Eddie Izzard had this to say about the partnership: “Soho Theatre is a powerful comedy venue, now known internationally as the place for comedians to perform in London. Their plans for a larger venue at the former Granada are very positive and, from a performer’s perspective, it makes all the difference that the people running it have a passion for performance. My first ever gig in London was at a small club in Walthamstow and it would be a fine idea to be able to return to Walthamstow and play one of the newest venues in London”.
Like many in the area, this writer is very pleased at the announcement of these plans, having seen his 1st film ever (‘Flash Gordon’) at this ‘Grand Old Dame’ of East London. The new venue, as yet to be named, is expected to open in a mere 3 years time.
