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Built as a, very large, variety theatre by Oswald Stoll using architect Frank Matcham. It experienced some ups and downs financially and then in the early sixties suffered the indignity of conversion to a cinema. But the arrival of the English National Opera in 1968 rescued the theatre and it is now looked after very well. Sir Oswald Stoll wanted a revolving dome to top his sumptuous theatre, but this being deemed illegal, he settled instead for the flashing electric lights familiar today. TimesOnLine has a good description of the building.