Sir, - I am currently writing the history of the Capitol Theatre, of 4 North Prince's Street, Dublin. I would like to hear from anyone with special knowledge of the stage shows, comedy acts, members of the orchestra, performers and so forth. The Capitol had many good stage shows of a novel character, besides its periodic use as a concert hall, for which its acoustics were perfect, and as an opera house, which it originally was.
Functioning as a cinema, the Capitol had a high projection box, angled over the gods, which was an afterthought. The painted car-touches were by Patrick Tuohy RHA. It was built as La Seala Opera House in 1919-1920 by Frank Chambers and George Fleming, a site of almost an acre, running to Middle Abbey Street. The architect was T. F. MacNamara; it was built by Thompsons with ferro-concrete by Mouchel of London. The woodword was largely from the Mauretania, refitting in Southampton after years of war service, when she took Irish soldiers to the Dardanelles campaign.
It was opened in August 1920. The programme was always a mixed bag, and at that time it was slow to make a profit. My grandfather, Alderman John Joseph Farrell, bought it in 1926, and he made it profitable by putting on a stage show. It was thereafter a major source of employment, and was the site of the original 1943 broadcast of Messiah by Our Lady's Choral Society.
From 1911, my grandfather had opened numerous other cinemas, among them the Pillar and the Grand Central. The latter was built on the site of the former DBC theatre and tea-rooms, destroyed by shelling in 1916, in which the Grand Cinema was run by Messrs Kay and Jameson. The Grand Central, named for a New York show palace, was built in 1922, and after fierce lightning storms was burnt in the second week of September, 1946.
About 1927-28, the name La Seala was altered to Capitol, named for another New York, show palace, so the houses were twinned. I will be grateful to anyone with information on these topics. - Yours, etc.,
41 Nutley Lane, Dublin 4.