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The Regent started out life as a cinema and opened on 11 February 1929. It was built on one of the oldest standing sites in Hanley, a haberdashery and draper’s bazaar. The site was purchased in 1920 but building did not start until January 1928.

The architect was W E Trent for Provincial Cinematograph Theatres (PCT), which at the time was the country’s largest cinema chain. The cinema was a huge undertaking with seating accommodation for 2,184, including 1,372 on the ground floor and 812 in the balcony - and every seat had a clear view of the screen.

There was also a café with mirrored and decorated ceilings and a lighting system with over 15,000 electric lamps. The entrance hall had a marble floor, decorative ceiling and walls but the main attraction was the ‘Wonderful Wurlitzer’ organ installed above the proscenium and mounted on a hydraulic platform.

Lavish affair

The opening was a lavish affair with the Lord and Lady Mayoress of Stoke-on-Trent, (ald. W T Leason), and the directors of PCT all giving speeches.

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake

The Last Command starring Emil Jannings and Evelyn Brent played continuously from 2pm and there was also a variety show with the 9 Regent dancing girls, a soprano, two tap dancers and Mr E Felton Rapley on the Wurlitzer.

The cinema was packed. The price of the ticket in February 1929 was 6d for a matinee and 8d for the evening performances.

In July 1929, The Regent was the first cinema in the Potteries to introduce ‘Talkies’ when it showed Al Jolson in The Singing Fool.

The Gaumont

By 1930 PCT was being run by Gaumont British, but it retained the name Regent until 1950 when it became The Gaumont.

During the 1940s The Regent was renowned for the staging of Sunday concerts and presented such stars as Henry Hall, Felix Mendlessohn’s Hawaiian Serenaders and Joe Loss.

In the 1960s the venue was home to many local amateur operatic groups as well as pop stars, including Tom Jones, The Rolling Stones and even the Beatles.

The organ remained in the venue until its removal in 1972. Two years later The Gaumont became the first multi-screen cinema in the area when it was tripled and re-opened, entailing under circle alterations in the stalls.

Screen 1, which was the old circle plus the front stalls area seated 1,300. Screens 2 and 3, the divided rear stalls, seated 150 each.

More name changes

From 06 June 1976, the theatre was renamed the Odeon Film Centre, after the closure of the Odeon Trinity Street in Hanley in November 1975.

In 1987 the whole building was subjected to a cleaning and refurbishment programme.
Just two years later, the Odeon/Gaumont/Regent, once the most prestigious cinema in town, closed with a final charity showing of The Sound of Music on 12 October 1989 after Odeon had opened a new 8-screen multiplex at Festival Park.

Kym Marsh and Eric Potts in Mother Goose

A new era

In 1994, the venue became part of a feasibility study looking into the possibilities of a new major No 1 touring venue in Stoke-on-Trent.

In 1995 an application was made to the Arts Council of England for funds from the new National Lottery for both The Regent and Victoria Hall.

The plan was successful and work started in 1996 and The Ambassador Theatre Group won the bid to manage both venues.

After almost three years of work the first audience of The Regent Theatre was welcomed by Sir Derek Jacobi on 22 September 1999.

Official opening

The theatre was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen during her visit to Stoke-on-Trent’s Cultural Quarter on 28 October 1999.

Britannia Building Society became principal sponsor of The Regent Theatre in 1999.
Annie starring Lesley Joseph was the first show to be staged at the newly opened Regent Theatre in September 1999.

In November 1999, one of the world’s finest opera companies, Glyndebourne Touring Opera (now Glyndebourne on Tour), left Manchester for Stoke-on-Trent, where they have resided ever since. The Regent has built a strong relationship with Glyndebourne over the years and in turn, the opera company has established significant links with the local community through creative learning activities.

05 Dance @ The Regent

Annual dance festival

In 2002, the Creative Learning Department (formerly Education & Outreach) launched 02 Dance - an annual dance festival where over 2000 children and young people take to The Regent stage. It is now firmly established as one of the foremost youth dance events in the UK.

The hugely successful Dance Artist in Residence project has introduced high quality dance to thousands of local children since 2003, and the work with youth opera will continue to be developed into 2009.Ìý

First Family Entertainment (a new family entertainment company created by Ambassador Theatre Group and Live Nation) took over as pantomime producer in 2005. The first of this new breed of pantos is Mother Goose starring Jonathan Wilkes, Kym Marsh and Eric Potts. Mother Goose sets a new record for the highest grossing show ever at The Regent.Ìý

Favourite Regent Show of All Time

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake was voted Favourite Regent Show of All Time by Regent Theatre Friends in 2006.

The fastest show on earth, Starlight Express, became one of The Regent’s biggest ever shows in 2006.

The Regent Theatre even appears on the board in a Stoke-on-Trent edition of Monopoly in 2008 when the people of Stoke-on-Trent select the venue as their joint favourite landmark in the city (along with Stoke Minster).

Stoke's Got Talent winner

Stoke’s Got Talent

In 2008, a brand new talent competition, Jonathan Wilkes’ Stoke’s Got Talent was hosted at The Regent.

Daniel Hewitt (centre of picture) was crowned the winner, winning a £2,000 cash prize and also appeared in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at The Regent.Ìý

In 2009, Arts Council England has announced that The Regent Theatre has been successful in its application to the Free Theatre Initiative, a new scheme from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport which will see 618,000 free theatre tickets given to under 26 year olds across England over the next two years in an attempt to increase young audiences.

In January 2009, The Regent Theatre completes another successful pantomime season with Jonathan Wilkes.Ìý

Memorable highlights over the years have included Chicago, Woman in Black, Jesus Christ Superstar, Stomp, Matthew Bourne’s productions of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and The Car Man, Whistle Down the Wind, Duchess of Malfi, Grease, Blood Brothers, Evita, Cats, Beauty & the Beast, Rebecca, Art, Rent, Dr Dolittle, Godspell, NeverÌý Forget, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Rocky Horror Show, High School Musical, Starlight Express, Calendar Girls, The Witches of Eastwick, Guys and Dolls, Scooby Doo, The Play What I Wrote and Slava’s Snowshow.