Argyle Street, Birkenhead 1900's - 27th May 2007 4:57pm
The Argyle Theatre of Varieties, opened as a music hall in 1868.
Some of the stage and music stars that performed there were Stan Laurel, George Formby, Charlie Chaplin, and Harry Lauder. Aparantly, Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise also performed at the Argyle Theatre.
The theatre had seating for about 800, with pillars in the auditorium and long, narrow galleries running down either side.
It was one of the oldest music halls in Britain, famous for its lively entertainment and for fostering new talent.
In 1876 the name changed to the Prince of Wales and the theatre was used to present plays. In 1890, the management of the theatre was taken over and was changed back into to a music hall under its original name of the Argyle Theatre.
The Argyle was the first music hall to present radio broadcasts that were aired throughout the Commonwealth; it was also the only British music hall to broadcast direct to the United States on a coast-to-coast hook-up.
In 1896, the Argyle was the first theatre outside of London to present Thomas Edison's Vitagraph Living Pictures. In 1910 it showed footage of the funeral of King Edward VII and in 1911 the coronation of King George and Queen Mary.
Although the theatre showed films and newsreels for a number of years, the main attractions at the Argyle continued to be live performances.
The Argyle was destroyed by fire in an air raid by Hitler's Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain on September 21, 1940.
Whats On: Monday 1st of February 1892 - Monday 21st of January 1907