139 High Street

This building is an Art Deco style building, constructed in the 20th century. It is located on High Street, with a corner entrance on Brighton Road. The exterior is predominantly brown brick with buff faience decorative elements, the tower and entrance bay featuring red ribbing. Black tiles and vitriolite panels are present at the ground floor entrances and shop fronts. The roofs are corrugated asbestos. A two-story circular entrance block at the corner, made of black vitriolite on the ground floor and buff faience above, is open throughout its height. It has a wrap-around painted canopy with blue ribbing and curved brackets over a matching fascia, supported by black-tiled columns. Large upper windows are divided by cylindrical piers. Modern lettering is present above the entrance. The tower is set back behind the entrance block and features a ribbed faience panel that sweeps to form an asymmetrically curved roof. Banded brickwork is visible on the sides and inside elevations. To the right of the entrance block is a low, four-window bay that includes twin panelled exit doors and a pilastered wall related to the auditorium. The Brighton Road return displays channelled brickwork to the ground floor and three long windows above, connected by bands of projecting brick. The upper storey also has channelled brickwork and narrow windows.

A three-story, four-window shop block, located to the south and fronting the auditorium (Nos 135-141 High Street), has curved corners with two central bays projecting forward. It features black vitriolite fascias and green and black panelled surrounds to the original shop fronts, which largely retain their original glazing. The upper windows have been altered and are set in rusticated brick bands.

The interiors are of fine contemporary design. A longitudinal entrance hall features overpainted detailing, including half-columns, channelled bands and quatrefoil bronze and bakelite light pendants to a panelled ceiling, as well as matching wall lights. Twin stairs, with low curved and stepped jambs, lead up to a half-landing and then to an upper foyer, with original double doors, metal handrails and stepped skirtings. The auditorium retains much of its original detail, although the balcony area has been subdivided. The proscenium arch has curved jambs flanked by Art Deco trapezoidal panels with horizontal ribs overlying original fretwork patterns. A full-width overarch forms a reinforced curved ceiling. Other original features include double doors with glazing, ribbed overdoors, and a fretwork frieze to the rear of the curved balcony.