A look back at some of Wigan’s great theatres of yesteryear

Theatres, like cinemas, were once plentiful in towns and cities up and down the country in the days before people had the television box to rely on for their entertainment

By Alan Weston

Published 15th Mar 2024, 15:45 BST

Here we take a look back at some of Wigan borough’s great lost theatres – some of which also acted as music halls or were housed in community centres – with pictures drawn from our archive.

1. The Wigan Grand Hippodrome opened on March 7 1904 in King Street, Wigan. Sadly it was forced to close down 52 years later after sustaining heavy fire damage. Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel were among the stars who appeared there

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2. The Royal Court theatre on King Street in its heyday. Picture courtesy of Wigan Archives and Local Studies

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3. The Hub nightclub at the former Royal Court Theatre in King Street, pictured January 2013

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4. Exterior of the old Royal Court theatre, King Street, pictured in May 2019. The former nightclub 'The Hub' was bought by arts organisation The Old Courts, to bring it back to its former glory.

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