The Pavilion Theatre was a theatre in Torquay, Devon, England. It was one of the three main auditoriums in Torbay, and during the 1970s differed from the Princess Theatre, Torquay, and the Festival Theatre, Paignton, in that it had plays rather than variety shows during the lucrative summer seasons. It is a Grade II listed building.
History
The new municipal borough council decided to make a series of improvements after Torquay was made a municipal borough in 1892. In the late 19th century the Borough Engineer of Torbay, Henry Augustus Garrett, started to lay out the Princess Gardens, the Terrace Walk, Pier Pavilion and Torquay Pavilion on Torquay seafront. The Gardens were named in honour of Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise, who laid the foundation stone in 1890.
Part of its site was on land reclaimed from the sea, and it was built on a concrete raft on which a steel framework was erected. The Pavilion's architect was Edward Rogers, who drew up the final plans with H. C. Goss. The plans were passed in 1903, but construction did not start until 1911 due to Rogers' death, and the work was taken over by Garrett. The Pavilion was officially opened by the mayor, Charles Towell, on Saturday 17 August 1912.Western Daily Mercury 19 Aug 1912
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of five bays facing onto Vaughan Road. The central bay featured a segmental headed entrance with an iron canopy; on the first floor there was a Diocletian window flanked by pairs of Doric order pilasters supporting a gable. The outer bays contained curved structures fenestrated by round headed windows and surmounted by copper domes. The building was faced with white tiles made of Doulton's Carrara-enamelled stoneware. Its central copper-covered dome was topped with a life-size figure of Britannia and two smaller domes on each side bear figures of Mercury. Finely sculpted Art Nouveau-style cast iron edged the steps to the promenade deck and the octagonal bandstands or summer houses.
Apart from the foyer and auditorium, it had lounges and a cafe, all of which were panelled with oak. A municipal orchestra was founded and many famous conductors and singers performed here.
The council proposed demolishing the building in 1973, but it was listed in the same year. It closed in 1976, when it was leased to Rank Organisation and the interior was destroyed in adaptations for various types of amusements, first as a skating rink and then, in the 1980s, as a shopping arcade. As of July 2020, it was closed awaiting restoration; the steel girders which form its framework were heavily corroded. Torbay Council had leased the building to Marina Developments Ltd but that lease was ended in November 2024.
In May 2025, the Victorian Society included the building in its list of the 10 most endangered buildings in the country.
Shows Shows included: Year Show Notes 1926 The Farmer's Wife 26 – 31 July 1926, Laurence OlivierPavilion Theatre Programme 1926 Alf's Button Monday 2 August 1930 The Apple Cart started 11 August 1930 1930 Rose Marie started 18 August 1930 1930 The Girl Friend started 25 August 1930 1930 One Dam Thing After Another started 1 September 1930 1930 Silver Wings started 8 September 1930 1930 Lucky Girl started 15 September 1930 1930 Godfrey Tearle & Mary Malone started 22 September 1930 1930 Wild Rose started 29 September 1930 1931 Charley's Aunt w/c 16 February 1931 Sexton Blake w/c 23 February 1932 Peg O' My Heart w/c 15 February 1932 Grumpy w/c 22 February 1933 The Dubarry w/c Monday 14 August 1933 Lilac Time w/c Monday 18 September, Edward Leer 1933 Faust Wednesday 25 October (matinee) 1933 Madam Butterfly Wednesday 25 October (evening) 1933 Il Trovatore Thursday 26 October 1933 Gorno's Italian Marionettes w/c 31 October 1937 Merrie England Feb 2 - 6, Torquay Operatic Society 1938 The Burgomaster of Stilemonde w/c 10 October 1938 The Green Pack w/c 17 October 1939 Lilac Time Monday 20 November, Darroll Richards 1948 The Rebel Maid (June) Torbay Operatic & Dramatic Society 1951 The Desert Song (June) Torbay Operatic & Dramatic Society 1951 Glamorous Night (June) Torbay Operatic & Dramatic Society 1955 Beryl Reid 1955 George Formby 1955 Music for the Millions Kay Cavendish 1956 Norman Evans 1956 Music for the Millions Jimmy Edwards, Reg Thompson, Harry Worth (Sept 17th for 6 days) 1956 Elsie & Doris Waters 1956 Ken Tones 1958 Variety Show w/c Monday 26 May, Pavilion Orchestra, et al. 1958 Variety Show w/c Monday 2 June, Jimmy Young, Arthur English, George & Lydia 1958 Perchance to Dream w/c Monday 9 June, Torbay Operatic & Dramatic Society 1960 Ken Dodd 'Startime' June to October 1960 Cinderella Ruby Murray 1961 Laughing Room Only Jimmy Jewel, Ben Warriss 1962 The Cigarette Girl Week commencing Monday 28 May. By William Douglas-Home. 1962 Ballet Rambert 4 June 1962 The Gimmick 11 June, starring Dave King 1962 What a Racket 19 June-29 September, Maggie Millward, Jessie Matthews, Arthur Askey, Jack Douglas, Billy Tasker, Adele Strong, Bunny May, Linda James, Carole Gosheron and Michael Lomax. 1963 Best Laid Schemes! Summer season commencing Wednesday 12 June. By Philip Weathers. Starring Thora Hird, Sydney Tafler, Freddie Frinton, Wendy Lovelock, William Maxwell, Barbara Bruce, Linda Bennett, Raymond Graham 1964 We're Frying Tonight! Summer season play by John Waterhouse. Starring Jimmy Clitheroe, Albert Burdon, Eddie Molloy, Mollie Sugden, Robert Webber, William Moore, Lynda Reynolds, Philip Clive, Tommy Godfrey, Billy Windsor 1965 Doctor at Sea John Slater, Edward Rigby, Andrew Ray 1968 Wedding Fever Sid James, Beryl Mason, John Inman, Kathleen Worth, Robert Blacklock 1969 Stand by your Bedouin Dickie Henderson 1970 Don't Tell the Wife with Jack Douglas 1971 The Mating Season with Sid James, Beryl Mason 1972 Stop It Nurse with Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Connor, Bernard Bresslaw 1973 Busman's Holiday with Bob Grant, Stephen Lewis and Anna Karen 1975 Move Over Mrs Markham with Tessie O'Shea, Ian Cullen, Virginia Stride, John Clegg and Jan Hunt 1976 The Eric Sykes Show with Eric Sykes, Hattie Jacques, Derek Guyler
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