Long before it was a nightclub, The Palace was a theatre. The building on Penel Orlieu has been bringing Bridgwater together for more than a century, and every era has left its mark.
1916: The Empire Theatre
The building opened on 8 March 1916 as the Empire Theatre, with the play A Pair of Silk Stockings. Designed by Samson & Colthurst in a Moorish-inspired style, it had a distinctive facade, a central tower and a cupola. Inside were orchestra stalls, a balcony, a stage, dressing rooms and a refreshment lounge above the entrance.
1917: The Palace Theatre
A year later the Albany Ward Circuit took over and renamed it the Palace Theatre. It carried on with live theatre, revues and pantomimes, with the occasional film.
The cinema years
Through the 1920s the Palace became more and more of a cinema, run first by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres and then by Gaumont British from 1929. In 1930 it was fitted with a sound system, and its first talking picture, Sunny Side Up, was screened on 25 March 1930.
An earlier view of the building. Date unknown.
War, closure and comebacks
The theatre closed in 1938 when its licence was revoked over a lack of emergency exits. When the Second World War began, it found a new purpose: used by E.N.S.A. to entertain the troops, it became known locally as the Barracks Theatre.
After the war it reopened on and off, and from 24 April 1950 an independent operator ran it for films and plays. The Palace Theatre finally closed in August 1986, and the building stood largely empty for the next decade.
1997: The Palace Nightclub
In 1997 the building reopened as The Palace Nightclub. After a major refurbishment it grew into a clubbing destination for the whole region, and it has hosted some big moments, including Joe Strummer’s final gig with The Mescaleros in 2002.
The early nightclub years in 1999, and the frontage in 2018.
Still doing what it was built for
From plays and pantomimes to films, wartime shows, live bands and club nights, the building has always been a place for crowds, atmosphere and shared nights out. More than a hundred years on, it is still doing exactly that.
See the full timeline and more photos on our History page.