FOLKESTONE & HYTHE DISTRICT
Entertainment Venues
From Theatres & Cinemas to bingo halls, Ghost stories abound in the Entertainment world of England, from shadow figures seen to unexplained noises heard. Kent is not exempt from those stories and witness experiences. Paranormal events are held across the county in some places of entertainment, so don't forget to check out the Events in Kent page. Here is what GofEPS has so far for the Folkestone District
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CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR THE BUSINESS WEBSITE
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​If you hear of any reports of Paranormal Activity at any of the listed places that aren't reported here, or you know of any not mentioned, please get in touch. Thank you
1. FOLKESTONE THEATRE
Grace Hill Folkstone CT20
No Website - Private Residence
The Folkestone Theatre, a significant landmark situated on Grace Hill beside the Prince Albert Hotel, holds a special place in the history of Folkestone. As one of the town's earliest playhouses, opening its doors around 1803. The theatre, after serving its purpose, was eventually closed and demolished. The site was then repurposed to construct a new Music Hall, a project that unfortunately never came to fruition. As it was nearing completion, it was put up for auction under 'The Folkestone Theatre Site' on 29th January 1902.
Over the years, the site of the Folkestone Theatre has undergone several transformations, each adding a new chapter to its history. It served as a garage and a skating rink before the Electric Theatre was inaugurated on 3rd May 1910. This latest venture, with seating for 400 all on a single floor, was a resounding success, marking a new era in the theatre's legacy. The patrons entered the auditorium from behind the screen, which was at the street end of the building. Such was its popularity that the owners commissioned A.R Bowles to design their much larger Playhouse Super Cinema in nearby Guildhall Street in 1912, a venue that still stands today, ensuring the theatre's enduring legacy.
The Electric Theatre was later rebranded as the Savoy Theatre around 1928. However, tragedy struck on 13th December 1928 when a fire broke out at the front of the building, causing extensive damage to the structure.
It was rebuilt and re-opened as Savoy Super Cinema on 20th June 1929, which closed on 27th July 1940 due to wartime conditions. Taken over by the Star Cinemas chain in the late 1950s, they introduced part-time bingo in October 1961, and soon after, it was closed as a cinema and became a Star Bingo Club, which closed in 1984. The building was left unused for some time. It used last as a nightclub and live music venue named 'Metronome', which closed in the mid-2000s.
In 2015, work was done to restore the vacant and unused outside of the building. A change of use had been approved for the conversion of the first, second, and third floors to three self-contained flats. The theatre area is said to be unaffected by these works, preserving its historical charm.
**HAUNTINGS**
Legend has a woman dressed in clothing from the 1930s has been seen on the staircase. She is thought to be the distressed mother of a young lad who was killed in an accident when a fan fell from the ceiling and landed on him. Her ghostly presence adds a layer of mystery to the theatre's history.
2. THE LEAS PAVILION THEATRE
The Leas (Club) Pavillion, a Grade II listed building, stands as a rare example of an Edwardian high-class tearoom. It opened its doors in 1902 and was a beacon of elegance and refinement. The covenant in the lease, mandating the use of the room for the highest-class tea and refreshment trade, was a testament to its aspiration to attract the best class of visitors.
The site lay between two hotels on the east side of The Leas, which had long leases from the Radnor Estate with an "ancient lights" clause so that no building could be constructed, which would prevent light from reaching their windows. As a result, the building was built with only one storey visible above the ground, with a flat roof but a full-height basement. The entrance front had exceptional architectural merit with high-quality moulded terracotta work, ironwork grilles, attached veranda, and Art Nouveau-style stained glass; the other elevations are much plainer. The plan form survives intact. The interior, with its imperial staircase, galleried interior and ceiling, survives substantially intact, apart from a few alterations made later.
A ladies' orchestra, often joined by a vocalist, sat at the gallery's far end.
In 1906, a concert party was introduced on a makeshift stage below the gallery.
During the First World War, the pavilion hosted farewell concerts for the troops before their departure to France, a poignant part of its history.
The concert parties continued after the war until 1928, when a proper stage was built at the far end of the hall, with plays and tea matinees.
For 57 years, it thrived as a repertory theatre called Leas Pavilion Theatre, until its closure in September 1985.
It reopened as the Leas Club in March 1986 and was run as a cafe, pub, and venue for live music.
Viscount Folkestone sold the freehold to the Leas Club to Churchgate developers in 2008, along with the two car parks on which they planned to build flats. The flats will be at least six stories high, forming a horseshoe around the Leas Pavilion and the pavilion to become a gym. The plans also included two commercial units and basement and ground floor parking areas.
Churchgate said it would not allow the premises to continue operating as a nightspot. So in 2010, Leas Club closed its doors for the final time.
The Plans submitted by the developers expired in 2018, and with no work starting, the building continued to be derelict.
The Friends of the Leas Pavilion was created to buy the 100-year-old lease. After an ongoing battle between the FLP and the council for the developers to ensure the building was kept from falling into more disrepair, the FLP tried to get the leading site used for the community area. Finally, demolition began, which unfortunately caused more issues with the original structure, so they did their best to keep the front and main theatre area as they were with restoration. Phase 1 was complete, and four floors above finished, boasting beautiful apartments with a sea view.
As the Leas Pavilion Company advertised, ''Theatre lovers from 1929 to 1969 enjoyed adding a stage to the Leas Pavilion, making it the perfect live performance venue for Folkestone.
As part of our renovation, the pavilion will be a public space for staging musical performances, talks, plays, and stand-up comedy for up to 100 days per year, so watch out for events there.''
It is now complete, and they have incorporated this former tea room into an Avant-Garde shoreline residence with apartments. Retaining and restoring the ground floor as a seating area with its high ornate ceiling, grand staircase and balcony area and built a modern structure of nine floors with 91 luxury sea-view apartments
**HAUNTINGS**
The old theatre and nightclub are said to be haunted by the ghost of a former elderly caretaker who hung himself inside the building. His out-of-control gambling habits had led him to commit suicide. Former staff members have reported feeling his presence in the building, especially inside the old dressing room. Doors are said to open and close without explanation, and equipment would move before performances to where they needed to be - could this be the ghost of the man trying to help the staff?
The Leas Folkstone CT20