141 High Street

This building is an Art Deco style structure, dating from the 20th century. It is constructed primarily of brown brick with buff faience work, featuring red ribbing on the tower and entrance bay. The ground floor entrances and shop fronts are finished with black tiles and vitriolite panels. The roofs are corrugated asbestos.

A two-storeyed circular entrance block, located at the corner of High Street and Brighton Road, is built of black vitriolite on the ground floor and buff faience above, and it is open through its full height internally. A wrap-around painted canopy with blue ribbing and curved brackets extends over a matching fascia, supported by black-tiled columns. The upper windows are large and divided by cylindrical piers. Modern lettering is present above the entrance. The tower is set back behind this entrance block and features ribbed faience work that sweeps to form an asymmetrically curved roof. Banded brickwork is visible on the tower’s sides and inside elevations. To the right of the entrance block, a low four-window bay incorporates twin panelled exit doors, with a pilastered wall indicating the auditorium’s setback. The Brighton Road return features channelled brickwork on the ground floor, with three long windows above linked by bands of projecting brick. The upper storey has narrow windows and also incorporates channelled brickwork.

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

The interiors are notable for their quality and contemporary Art Deco detailing. The longitudinal entrance hall features overpainted decorative elements including half-columns, channelled bands, and quatrefoil bronze and bakelite light pendants suspended from a panelled ceiling. Matching wall lights are also present. Twin staircases feature low, curved, stepped jambs, metal handrails, and stepped skirtings, leading to an upper foyer with original double doors. The auditorium retains much of its original detail, although the balcony area has been partitioned off. It features curved jambs to the proscenium arch, flanked by Art Deco trapezoidal panels filled with horizontal ribs over original fretwork patterns. A full-width overarch covers the reinforced curved ceiling. Further original detailing includes double doors with glazing, ribbed overdoors, and a fretwork frieze to the rear of the curved balcony.