20 A/B Townhead, former Regal Cinema

A purpose-built former cinema at Townhead, Auchterarder High Street, built in 1925-26 in the Art Deco style by Charles T. Ewing of Crieff.

The symmetrical front elevation is a two-storey, three-bay block with a pair of integrated glass-fronted shopfronts at ground floor. The long centre bay has a pair of 2-leaf timber doors with glazed panels. The shopfronts to either side have recessed porch entrances with canted glazing.

At the upper level, there is a large multi-paned window flanked by a further pair of windows in the two outer bays. The bays are divided by four tall sandstone pilaster columns with squared capstones that extend above the roofline. There are horizontal signage boards between the ground and first floor, and a cornice band at the roofline. The auditorium hall to the rear is of rendered brick, having a pitched steel roof with a grey slate covering.

The interior was seen in 2019. There is a rectangular-plan vestibule with a pair of 2-leaf timber doors accessing the main foyer. The foyer has a grand stair with moulded timber handrail and cast-iron bannisters with a geometric design. There is moulded plasterwork to the walls and ceiling of the foyer and upper gallery. The auditorium has a distinctive curved ceiling of decorative pressed tin panels. There is a cantilevered balcony at the rear of the hall, with projector windows in the rear wall. Above the former screen area is a scrolled cartouche decoration and below is a rectangular musicians pit. There is a rectangular sound chamber addition (1941) within the screen area. The walls have plaster-coated brick pilasters with capital detailing and decorative shell light sconces, possibly added during a 1930s or 1940s refurbishment.

There is a former tearoom on the first floor with some moulded pilasters to the rear wall. The separate kitchen area has a built-in range. The projection room has been removed, creating a landing area at the top of the main stair. The shop to the right has a secondary staircase access to the first-floor tearoom. The shop to the left has a built-in wall safe.