High Street, Queen's Theatre

The first permanent theatre in Gateshead. It was a chapel in 1815, then a music hall, boxing hall, Salvation Army hall (1882), Royal Theatre (1887, the Queen's (1894) and the New Hippodrome Cinema (1919). In 1891 seven children were crushed to death during a scramble to escape after a false fire alarm. The theatre was damaged by fire in 1922 and a Woolworth store was built on the site.