The Deco

The Deco is a historic entertainment and events venue in the centre of Northampton, England. The building opened on 2 May 1936 as the Savoy, a large cinema and theatre developed within the ABC cinema group. Designed by ABC's house architect William Riddell Glen, it was built in less than nine months on the site of the former Technical College and adopted an International Modernistic style. Its original design combined film exhibition with live performance facilities, including an orchestra pit, and accommodated almost 2,000 people across a 696-seat circle and 1,200-seat stalls. The venue became an important local entertainment site during the mid-twentieth century. In the 1950s it was renamed ABC as part of the cinema group's national branding policy. During the 1960s it hosted touring popular-music acts, including the Beatles, who performed there in March and November 1963, and the Rolling Stones in 1965. The venue also became associated with an incident involving singer PJ Proby, who was arrested after splitting his trousers during a 1965 performance. These events form part of the building's cultural identity and are commemorated in part by a blue plaque at the main entrance marking the Beatles' appearances. In 1974, the auditorium was reconfigured as a three-screen cinema complex. The rear of the stalls was divided to create two smaller screens, while the main circle continued as the principal screen. By the 1990s, however, the cinema was operating under the Cannon name and faced competition from newer multiplexes. After a nine-screen multiplex opened at Sixfields Leisure Park, the Cannon closed in 1995. The building then remained derelict for approximately five years. A charitable trust acquired the building in 2000 and oversaw its conversion into a multi-purpose venue. It reopened in October 2005 under the Deco name. The property was subsequently acquired by The Old Savoy CIC, and Stage Right Productions has operated it as a venue for corporate, social and theatrical events for more than 15 years according to the available reference material. The site has also been described as accommodating religious and community use alongside its events role. The Deco is a Grade II listed building, designated in 2004, and is included on the Northampton Heritage Trail. Its surviving architectural features are regarded as an important example of Glen's work. The modern venue comprises a principal auditorium and two smaller suites, The Doré and The Glen, the latter named after William Riddell Glen. The main auditorium provides approximately 7,250 square feet of usable theatre or concert space and can accommodate up to 925 seated guests or approximately 1,200 people in a standing configuration. The two conference suites provide a combined additional area of about 3,900 square feet and can each accommodate approximately 200 people when configured for conferences. Rather than functioning as a conventional consumer product brand, The Deco is best understood as a heritage-led venue brand. Its proposition combines preserved 1930s architecture, a strong association with British cinema and popular music history, and flexible facilities for live entertainment, private hire, conferences, celebrations and community activity.

The Deco originated as the Savoy, a purpose-built cinema and theatre that opened in Northampton on Saturday 2 May 1936. It was developed as part of the ABC cinema group and designed by William Riddell Glen, the group's prolific house architect. Construction took less than nine months and produced an International Modernistic building on the site of the former Technical College. The design incorporated both cinema and theatre functions, including an orchestra pit, and the original auditorium had nearly 2,000 places divided between a large circle and stalls. The Savoy quickly became a prominent local entertainment venue. During the 1950s it adopted the ABC name in line with the cinema group's national branding. In the following decade the site hosted touring performers and bands, including the Beatles in March and November 1963 and the Rolling Stones in 1965. The venue was also the setting for the widely remembered 1965 PJ Proby incident, when the singer was arrested after splitting his trousers during a performance. Later generations of touring acts, including the Hollies, the Searchers and Billy J Kramer, also returned to the venue. A major internal alteration took place in 1974, when the building was converted into a three-screen cinema. A dividing wall was introduced at the rear of the stalls to form two smaller screens, while the main circle became the principal auditorium. By the mid-1990s, the cinema was operating under the Cannon name. It struggled to compete with modern multiplexes, particularly after a new nine-screen multiplex opened at Sixfields Leisure Park. The Cannon closed in 1995, after which the building stood derelict for approximately five years. In 2000, a charitable trust purchased the property and began converting it into a multi-purpose venue. The building reopened in October 2005 as The Deco. After the charity later closed, The Old Savoy CIC acquired the site and renamed it The Old Savoy. Stage Right Productions has subsequently operated the venue for corporate, social and theatrical events. Available descriptions also associate the site with religious and community use. The building's architectural and cultural significance has been reinforced by its Grade II listing, awarded in 2004, and its inclusion on the Northampton Heritage Trail. The venue retains significant elements of Glen's original design and is considered an important surviving example of his work. Its current configuration consists of a 925-seat main auditorium and two smaller spaces, The Doré and The Glen, each capable of accommodating approximately 200 people in a conference layout. The main auditorium and ancillary suites allow the site to support concerts, theatre, conferences, private celebrations and other hired events.

• 2005

  Reopening as The Deco

  [1]The Decoen.wikipedia.org

  The restored building reopens in October as a multi-purpose events and performance venue.

• 2004

  Grade II listing

  [1]The Decoen.wikipedia.org

  The building is designated a Grade II listed structure.

• 2000

  Acquisition by a charitable trust

  [1]The Decoen.wikipedia.org

  A charitable trust purchases the derelict building and begins its conversion into a multi-purpose venue.

• 1995

  Cannon cinema closes

  [1]The Decoen.wikipedia.org

  The cinema closes after competition from a newer multiplex at Sixfields Leisure Park.

• 1974

  Conversion to a three-screen cinema

  [1]The Decoen.wikipedia.org

  The interior is reorganized into three cinema screens by dividing the rear of the stalls.

• 1963

  The Beatles perform at the venue

  [1]The Decoen.wikipedia.org

  The Beatles appear at the Northampton venue in March and November.

• 1950

  Renaming as ABC

  [1]The Decoen.wikipedia.org

  The venue adopts the ABC name during the group's national branding programme.

• 1936

  The Savoy opens

  [1]The Decoen.wikipedia.org

  The purpose-built cinema and theatre opens in Northampton on 2 May as part of the ABC group.

A heritage-focused, independently operated Northampton venue combining a restored 1930s cinema and theatre with flexible facilities for live entertainment, corporate events, private functions and community use.

• Live entertainment and venue hire · 1936

  Main auditorium

  The principal performance and events space, retaining the scale of the original cinema and theatre. It provides approximately 7,250 square feet of usable space, seats up to 925 people, and can accommodate around 1,200 standing guests in a stalls-and-circle configuration.

• Conference and events suite · 2005

  The Doré

  One of the venue's two smaller rooms, used for conferences, meetings, private functions and other events. It has a stated capacity of approximately 200 when configured for conference use.

• Conference and events suite · 2005

  The Glen

  A smaller events and conference room named after original architect William Riddell Glen. Like The Doré, it can accommodate approximately 200 people in a conference configuration.

• 2000

  Redevelopment as a multi-purpose venueStrategy

  Background

  The former cinema had stood unused and derelict for approximately five years after its closure.

  Action taken

  A charitable trust purchased the building and initiated its conversion for broader performance, conference and events use.

  Aftermath

  The restored venue reopened in October 2005 under The Deco name.

  Source

• 1974

  Conversion from a single auditorium to a three-screen cinemaGeneration change

  Background

  Changing cinema exhibition patterns led to an internal reconfiguration of the original auditorium.

  Action taken

  The rear of the stalls was divided into two smaller screens, while the main circle continued as the primary screen.

  Aftermath

  The building operated as a three-screen cinema until its eventual closure in 1995.

  Source

1. 1The Decoen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Deco official websitethedeco.co.uk