14/01/2026
Tucker Buildings had the great opportunity last year to carry out the enabling works and repairs to Paignton Theatre a Grade II* listed building.
It was a great opportunity to get behind the scenes in this wonderful building and to see the years of history behind each layer of the building fabrics. As it once stood as a theatre from 1890 before closing in 1998 for it to re-open in 1999 as the Apollo cinema and again closing in 2018. For our client, it was important to ensure that the enabling works undertaken would enhance the building and return it to its former glory of being a theatre.
One interesting fact about the old Palace Theatre was that Agatha Christie, the renowned English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, such as Murder on the orient Express, Death on the Nile plus many more, once owned a booth to sit and watch shows from above the crowds, probably getting inspiration for her next book title.
When it comes to enabling works, some think it’s just the case of getting into a building and tearing it apart to allow for the next trade to follow on. But when working on a listed building there needs to be a lot of consideration on what to keep and what is to be removed without disturbing the fabric of the building too much, and special permission is required from the Local Planning Authority. Our team is specialist in such matters and hold the skills necessary for these exciting and diverse development projects.
