The Coronet facts for kids
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The Coronet Theatre was a very large place for live music and night-club events in London, England. It could hold up to 2,600 people! You could find it at 28 New Kent Road in Elephant and Castle.
This amazing old building was used for entertainment from 1879 until 2018. Even when it closed, it still had all its beautiful Art Deco designs.
Contents
A Long History: From Theatre to Cinema
The land where the Coronet stood first had a building called the Theatre Royal. It was built in 1872 but sadly burned down just six years later.
Rebuilding and New Beginnings
After the fire, a man named Jethro Thomas Robinson started rebuilding. Another famous architect, Frank Matcham, finished the work. This new building opened in 1879 as the Elephant and Castle Theatre. Guess who performed there when he was very young? The famous silent movie star, Charlie Chaplin!
Becoming a Cinema
In 1928, the theatre changed into a cinema called ABC cinema. Frank Matcham designed this cinema too. It was huge, with 3,100 seats and even a special organ that could spin around!
Standing Strong During Wartime
During World War II, London was attacked a lot by something called The Blitz. Many buildings were destroyed, but the Coronet building stayed strong. People often used it as a safe place to shelter from the bombs.
Rock and Roll Excitement
In the 1950s, the cinema became famous for a different reason. The manager showed a movie called Rock Around the Clock, which featured the musician Bill Haley. The young people watching got so excited that they caused a lot of commotion!
In 1966, the cinema changed again. It was bought by ABC Cinemas and split into three smaller cinemas. They even added a fancy lounge area. The very first movie shown in this new setup was Bonnie and Clyde.
The Final Cinema Years
After a few more name changes, it became the Coronet Cinema in 1981. But in 1999, the Coronet Cinema closed down. This meant there were no cinemas left in the Elephant and Castle area for a while.
The Coronet as a Music Venue
In 2002, a theatre producer named Dominic Madden bought the Coronet. It was an old, empty building then. He worked hard to bring it back to life and show off its original Art Deco style.
Big Changes and Reopening
Dominic Madden removed the old cinema parts and brought back the upper-gallery design. He also changed the sloped floor. After spending a lot of money to fix it up, The Coronet Theatre reopened in April 2003. It was now a multi-media nightclub!
Soon after, a new team led by Simon Parkes took over managing the venue. Simon Parkes was famous for starting the Brixton Academy, another well-known music spot.
Hosting Famous Artists
The Coronet Theatre became a popular place for live music. Many famous artists performed there, including:
- Justin Timberlake
- Wolfmother
- Blur
- Oasis
- Primal Scream
- The Libertines
- Macy Gray
- LCD Soundsystem
- Hot Chip
- Grinderman
- The Decemberists
- Hundred Reasons
- Kelis
- Alicia Keys
- Caribou
- Tame Impala
- Placebo
- Ty Segall
- The Fall
The venue continued to host many live concerts and parties until it closed.
The End of an Era
The Coronet Theatre had its last event on January 1, 2018. After some delays, the building started to be taken down in early 2021.
