A landmark Art Deco tower still announces films and entertainment from Perth’s long-running city-centre cinema.
Quick facts
- Date
- Built 1933
- Architect / designer
- A. Cattanach, with T. B. Gibson as consultant
- Type
- Art Deco cinema
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB39584)
- OS grid reference
- NO 11609 23794
Architecture and continuing use
Red brick and a pale marble-clad or painted entrance tower combine vertical emphasis with a broad horizontal frontage. A canopy, metal windows and surviving interior features retain much of the purposeful glamour of a 1930s picture house.
Its story
A. Cattanach of Kingussie designed the cinema in 1933 with T. B. Gibson as consultant. It has continued as a cinema while adapting its screens, facilities and programme to changing audiences.
Why it is included
The Playhouse is a strong and unusually complete Scottish example of inter-war entertainment architecture still serving its original purpose.
What to notice
- Tall streamlined entrance tower.
- Contrast between red brick and pale facing.
- Canopy and original metal-window detail.
Reading the surroundings
This is a commercial cinema. Public access is available for advertised screenings and events; check accessibility and performance times with the operator.
Timeline
- Built 1933 A. Cattanach of Kingussie designed the cinema in 1933 with T. B. Gibson as consultant. It has continued as a cinema while adapting its screens, facilities and programme to changing audiences.
- Present Operating independent cinema.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Cinema interiors have necessarily changed with technology and audience needs. The listing description identifies surviving historic elements but should not be read as a complete inventory of current fittings.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Perth Playhouse, LB39584 — Designation category, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural interest.
- Perth Playhouse — Current cinema operation, address, contact, screenings and visitor information.
Location
OS grid reference NO 11609 23794 · Location confidence: High: the HES designation provides an official mapped National Grid Reference and the current source confirms the Place relationship or present identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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