Rainbow Theatre facts for kids
Exterior view as its current use (c.2008)
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| Former names | Finsbury Park Astoria (1930–39) Odeon Astoria (1939–70) The Odeon (1970–71) |
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| Address | 232 Seven Sisters Road London, England N4 3NP |
| Location | Finsbury Park |
| Owner | The Rank Organisation |
| Capacity | 2,802 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 29 September 1930 |
| Renovated | 1975-77 |
| Closed | January 1982 |
| Architect | Edward Albert Stone |
The Rainbow Theatre is a famous building in Finsbury Park, London. It opened in 1930 and was first called the Finsbury Park Astoria. Later, it was known as the Finsbury Park Paramount Astoria and then the Finsbury Park Odeon.
This building is very special and is protected as a Grade II*-listed building. It started as a unique "atmospheric cinema" where you could watch movies and live shows. Over time, it became a regular cinema, then a popular music venue. Today, the building is used by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, which is a church.
History of the Rainbow Theatre
The Rainbow Theatre was built in 1930. It became a protected building in 1974, which was quite soon after it was built. People loved its amazing interior, which looked like a fantasy village from Spain or North Africa.
A former stage manager, Rick Burton, has a website with lots of details about who performed at the theatre and when. This information helped create this article.
A Magical "Atmospheric Cinema": 1930–1939
The Rainbow Theatre was one of five special venues built by Arthur Segal. These were called "atmospheric cinemas" or "atmospheric theatres." They were designed to make you feel like you were outdoors, perhaps in a Mediterranean village at sunset.
Imagine seeing stars in the sky and moving clouds inside the building! These places were more than just cinemas. You could spend a whole evening there, with cafes, bars, live organ music, orchestra concerts, and variety shows, all before the movie even started.
When it opened on 29 September 1930, the Finsbury Park Astoria was one of the biggest cinemas in the world. It stood at the corner of Isledon Road and Seven Sisters Road.
The outside of the building was simple, but the inside was incredibly fancy. It had a Moorish-style lobby with a fountain full of goldfish, which you can still see today. The main hall looked like an Andalucian village at night.
The theatre originally had 4,000 seats, including areas for cafes and bars. It had a large stage and a big orchestra pit. There were also 12 dressing rooms backstage for performers. On opening night, the film Condemned starring Ronald Colman was shown, along with a big stage show.
In December 1930, a company called Paramount Pictures took over the Astoria chain. They decided not to build two more planned theatres.
Cinema with Occasional Live Shows: 1939–1956
Having so many performers was very expensive. After nine years, Paramount decided this was not working well. On 27 November 1939, they sold the buildings to Odeon Theatres.
Odeon stopped all the live entertainment except for films and organ music. This allowed them to show films many times a day, which made the business more profitable. They did sometimes have concerts and variety shows, but mostly it was a cinema.
Changing to a Music Venue: 1956–1971
In 1956, the cinema managers did something amazing that started its journey to becoming a rock music venue. A small coffee bar in Soho called the 2i's had a tiny basement stage where new rock and roll singers could perform. Many famous stars were discovered there.
Six months after it opened, a young sailor named Tommy Steele performed. He quickly became Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. Just weeks after his first song hit the charts, he was the main act in a show at the Paramount Astoria.
As music changed from variety shows to rock concerts, the theatre became more and more known for great rock music. These concerts made a lot of money, so more and more nights were used for music instead of films. The building became one of London's top music venues.
In 1959, famous artists like the Duke Ellington Band played there. The Beatles even had a Christmas show from December 1963 to January 1964.
It was at this theatre that Jimi Hendrix famously set his guitar on fire for the first time. This happened on 31 March 1967, during the opening night of the Walker Brothers tour. Hendrix had to go to the hospital for his burnt fingers.
The theatre was renamed "Odeon" on 17 November 1970. It was closed by the Rank Organisation on 25 September 1971.
A Top Music Venue: 1971–1975
The Odeon was changed into the Rainbow Theatre, now with 3,040 seats. The Who played the first concert in the newly named venue on 4 November 1971. They even wrote a song called "Long Live Rock" that celebrates the theatre.
The Osmonds made their first London appearance at the Rainbow Theatre in the early 1970s.
Sadly, Frank Zappa was seriously hurt on 10 December 1971. A person from the audience pushed him off the stage, causing him to break a leg and cut his head. Zappa was in the hospital for six weeks. After this, the gap between the stage and the floor was made safer.
Alice Cooper played there on 7 November 1971. David Bowie was in the audience and was inspired to make his band use costumes and makeup on stage, starting the 'Glam Rock' movement in the UK.
Some films were still shown occasionally. The premiere of Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii was planned for November 1972 but was cancelled. However, the theatre did host the world premiere of the Leonard Cohen film Bird on a Wire in 1974.
Pink Floyd played four nights in February 1972. Part of their last night's show was broadcast on BBC Radio. They also played two special concerts in November 1973 to help Robert Wyatt, who had been paralyzed.
In 1972, special sound equipment was installed to make the concerts even better.
David Bowie performed three concerts during his Ziggy Stardust Tour in August and December 1972. These shows helped make Bowie a huge star in the UK. At his Christmas concert, he asked fans to bring toys to donate to children's homes.
Yes filmed their concerts in December 1972 at the Rainbow for their 1975 film Yessongs.
Eric Clapton played there in January 1973 with famous musicians like Pete Townshend and Stevie Winwood. A recording of this concert was released as Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert.
Many other famous bands played here, including James Brown in March 1973, King Crimson, and Roxy Music.
Dutch rock bands Focus and Golden Earring recorded live albums at the theatre in 1973 and 1977.
Dr John played a special New Orleans Night in July 1973. Van Morrison performed two nights in July 1973, and one of these shows was broadcast on BBC 2 and Radio 2.
Genesis played many times at the Rainbow. Parts of their October 1973 concert were released on an album.
Santana played two shows each day on 14 and 15 November 1973. The Sweet also played in December 1973 and released a live album from the show.
Glam rock singer Gary Glitter performed a show on Christmas Day 1973. This performance was used for his live album and concert film.
Deep Purple were listed in the 1974 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" because of their concert at the Rainbow Theatre in June 1972.
In January 1974, Stevie Wonder played two concerts at the Rainbow. These were some of his first public shows after a serious car accident. Many other musicians, including Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and David Bowie, came to watch.
Queen played a concert for their Queen II Tour on 31 March 1974. They returned in November 1974 to record two concerts, which were later released as Live at the Rainbow '74.
On 16 March 1975, a concert with many artists was recorded and released as Over The Rainbow (The Last Concert, Live!). The building then closed for several months for repairs and updates.
Music Venue Continues: 1975–1982
Kool & the Gang recorded three live songs at the Rainbow for their 1976 album.
Genesis opened their Wind & Wuthering Tour on 1 January 1977, playing for three nights. This marked the re-opening of the venue.
Marc Bolan & T. Rex played at the Rainbow on 18 March 1977, with the Damned as support.
Fleetwood Mac performed for three nights in April 1977 during their "Rumours" World Tour.
Bob Marley & the Wailers played four shows in June 1977 as part of the Exodus Tour. The last show was released as a video. In 2020, this concert was streamed online to raise money for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elton John and Ray Cooper played six nights at the Rainbow starting 2 May 1977. The first night was a special charity event.
Little Feat played four nights in August 1977. Mick Taylor was a guest guitarist on one of the nights.
The Ramones played two concerts on 31 December 1977 and 1 January 1978. The New Year's Eve concert was recorded and released as the It's Alive album.
Thin Lizzy recorded their Live and Dangerous video at the Rainbow in March 1978.
Olivia Newton-John played two shows in November 1978. The Boomtown Rats also played two dates in December 1978.
The Jacksons played six shows at the Rainbow Theatre in February 1979 as part of their Destiny World Tour.
Paul McCartney's TV film, Back to the Egg, was the last film shown at the Rainbow Theatre on 10 August 1979.
Secret Affair played the Rainbow on 8 December 1979. Dire Straits also performed in December 1979.
Part of Stiff Little Fingers' first live album, Hanx!, was recorded at the Rainbow in 1980.
A special show called The Taking Liberties Show took place on 20 February 1981, featuring several New York bands.
Iron Maiden performed here many times in 1980 and 1981. They recorded a video called Live at Rainbow Theatre and their first music video, "Women in Uniform," here.
The Grateful Dead played two series of shows at the Rainbow in 1981.
The ending of the 1980 British film Breaking Glass was filmed here. It starred Hazel O'Connor.
Toyah performed here in February 1981, and the show was filmed and released as Toyah Live At The Rainbow.
The building was protected in the 1970s, but the company running it couldn't keep it in good condition. The theatre closed permanently in 1982.
Closed and Occasional Boxing: 1982–1988
After closing in early 1982, the Rainbow Theatre was empty for 14 years. It was sometimes used for boxing matches.
A Church Today: 1988 onwards
From 1988, the building was used as a church by "The Rainbow Christian Fellowship." Then, in 1995, it was taken over by its current owners, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. This Brazilian church now uses the theatre as its main base in the UK.
They worked to restore the building and turn it into a church. The main hall was restored by 1999, and the lobby by 2001. In 2004, it was opened to the public for one night. At that event, the Guardian newspaper called the theatre "jaw dropping."
Nearby Places
Another music venue called The Sir George Robey (later "The Powerhaus" and "Robey") used to be across the street. It closed in 2004 and has since been taken down.
See also
In Spanish: Rainbow Theatre para niños
