Stockport Plaza- Unofficial
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The Official Website is now relaunched. Watch out for its growth.
Like the old site, it has a flash front page, it has image only and javascript only navigation. As the new diary is cgi based the details will not be locatable from search engines. I will maintain here a current NO script NO image calendar, and for a period carry the older pages as an archive service.
As previously, here for the benefit of search engines, readers using screen reading software, and those without (or preferring to avoid) Javascript, are pure text links to the NEW Official Pages. And as before- to get back to these text links,use your Back icon.
News | Chairmans Column | History | Building | Stockport Plaza Trust
Venue Booking | Calendar with times and prices | Contact
This page has been placed on the web to celebrate the restoration of the Plaza Cinema in Stockport, Cheshire, England and contains an updated calendar of programs (below).

CDs of Nigel Ogden playing the Compton organ are available at the Box Office price GBP 9.99.
Jan 2003: New 2nd CD of the Compton now available by Paul Greenwood.

Location of Plaza | How to book

Coming next - all dates taken from published public material!
The box office telephone 0161 477 7779. Events start at 7.30 unless otherwise noted.

25th April - FILMS- Laurel and Hardy in Sons of the Desert (1933) plus the short Helpmates (1932). 7pm for organ.

26th April- A Night at the Musicals with Duncan Breeze.
27th April- The Houghton Weavers

10th May - A Night For Kirsty, Dance Show.
11th May- 2.30pm- Russell Holmes plays the Compton Organ.
12th May - Arcsounds advise that we are to have a rare appearance by RAY DAVIES (singer/ songwriter- of the Kinks) with full band. Usual 7.30pm start, tickets listed at Twenty Two Pounds, probably the most costly tickets the Plaza has offered.
Read this review of Ray's sell-out October 2002 Newcastle concert. And other reviews of Ray's 2002 concerts.
Listen to a 1965 interview with Ray (this is a 675k WAVe file) made just before the Kinks went to America to record a Shindig tv show.

14th May - Extravaganza Productions present "Music Hall" with David Vickers, Richard Chandler, Vivienne St George, Bobby King, Janet Bryan. 2.30pm and 7.00pm.

16th May. FILM- The Road to Hong Kong. Celebrate Bob Hope's centenary this year. The last of the Road movies, something of a gentle homage. Uncredited appearances by Peter Sellers, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, David Niven. 7 p.m. for Organ.

17th and 18th May- day and night- The Avro Heritage Centre, Woodford will present an exhibition of Lancaster Bomber artifacts.
17th May. FILM- The Dam Busters (1954). Watch for an uncredited Patrick McGoohan. 7pm for organ.

18th May: The New Squadronaires Orchestra with Mike Porter, a tribute to the big band music of the 40s and 50s.
22nd and 23rd May- The Bradshaws ...an all that, Buzz Hawkins brings The Bradshaws to life on stage. Meet the Bradshaws, an extraordinary family who live in a two-up, two-down terraced house in that not quite forgotten era of pounds, shillings and pence, outside lavs, Woodbines, gobstoppers and endless pots of tea. The Bradshaws began their life as a radio show on Manchester's Piccadilly Radio, then transferred onto the small screen. Described as a cross between Coronation Street, Andy Capp and The Simpsons.

26th May. FILM- Steamboat Bill Jnr (1928) silent movie with live music from the Compton Organ (1932) played by Jeff Barker. A great Buster Keaton silent which I will be looking forward to seeing on the big screen. Doors open 7pm.

27th May - Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of John Wesley, a play by Tony Jasper about his life, Making Nobodies, Somebodies performed by the Jasperian Theatre Company. From 7pm.

31st May- City of Manchester Opera present Grand Opera Gala, conductor Carl Penlington Williams, accompanist Wendy Duke.
7th June - The Kingsway School proudly presents the Black Dyke Band.

13th June. FILM- An American in Paris (1951). Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. Musical - includes I Got Rhythm. 7pm for Organ.
20th June- Mid-Summer Concert in aid of the Wellspring Fund.(A Stockport charity to help the homeless).

28th June - Stockport Schools Band.

6th July- A Day at Macdonald's Farm. Down on the farm the animals are having trouble deciding what to do. Old Macdonald suggests they use their imagination, and what follows is 90 minutes of song and dance. Daisy the cow, Percy the pig and Lucy the lamb join in the fun with all the animals. 2.30 p.m.

11th July. FILM- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Numerous showing on the small screen at Christmas are not to be confused with seeing this film on a real cinema screen. Apples and Pears - quite different. Lots of well known actors- watch for uncredited appearances by Richard Wattis and Geoffrey (Catweazle) Bayldon. Organ at 7pm.

12th July- Variety Show featuring the Holbart Dance Club and Romiley Primary School.
13th July- The Jean Geddes School of Dance presents "For the love of Dance"
29th August- FILM- Sunset Boulevard 1950 Billy Wilder film. Lots of classic names in this movie. Organ at 7pm.

13th September - FILM- Hitchcock's Rear Window 1954 - (1998 restoration). As usual watch for Hitchcock's cameo appearance. Lots of great actors in this. James Stewart. Grace Kelly. Raymond Burr. 7pm for Organ.

3rd October- FILM- That's Entertainment - quite modern, 1974, but this is a clip film with all the best musical bits from the MGM studios films, with lots of names you know. 7pm for Organ.

13th - 18th October 2003: Stockport Operatic Society present Guys and Dolls (previously advertised as Barnum- change of plan).

24th October- FILM- Evergreen. 1934. A British musical with Jesse Matthews. 7pm for Organ.

29th November- FILM- Scrooge the 1951 version with Alistair Sim, Michael Hordern, George Cole, lots of great actors in this traditional Christmas ghost story. 7pm for organ.

After sitting in most places in the Plaza, a word of warning - after the Plaza was built, somebody modified the circle, losing the sight lines to the stage (no problem with cinema screen). The new Plaza has raised the stage and amended the circle seating, but there is still some restriction to viewing the stage from the front of the circle. In Circle Row C only, there appears to be no sight line to the stage at all (I could see nothing!). I recommend Row F or behind. Current building and safety regulations plus the listed status mean this problem won't be solved any time soon.

A visit in September 2000 showed newly upholstered seating in the stalls (moved from the circle) and seats in the circle refitted at lower density with seats from the Palace.
Visiting in November 2000 for a concert the old theatre/cinema was looking very good with a fitted out stage, very modern stage lighting and sound system. Excellent. Pity the cafe sells tea in polystyrene cups! There is a bar behind the circle. Ice creams in the interval.
The first film showing on December 1st 2000, 42nd Street, was a sell out success, Compton Organ, Orchestra, Live performer, excellent film - on a screen larger than most multiplexes can manage. Superb.

Archived pages from the old official site: History | The Venue | Restoration | News | Previous news | Cinema & Organ
Panto 2000 article | Plaza Trust | Contact | Really Old Calendar

Some pages I've put together: What they said about the Plaza: Old clippings | Newer clippings
The present state of the Holophane Lighting System
The Plaza Super Cinema and Compton Organ today with a few pictures.

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