The cinema opened as Odeon Theatre in 1937 designed by renowned theatre architect Harry Weedon.   It has a very distinct art décor design with magnificent exterior and a lovely lower foyer and upper circle lounge, retaining many of the original features.

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It originally housed close to 2,000 patrons to account for the swollen audiences that once attended whilst on seaside trips to Weston-super-Mare.  As was common-place at many seaside super cinemas, a Compton organ was installed to entertain patrons in the intervals.

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The cinema was split up in the late 1980s to have one cinema in the former circle and one in the Stalls, which still sat over one thousand.   Because of its size, it luckily retained its organ whereas in many conversions around the UK they were removed.  However it was now scarcely used at all.

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In the late 1990s two further smaller cinemas were installed in the rear stalls but, still many of the other features remained unchanged.

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After the Rank Organisation pulled out of film and cinemas completely in 2006, the ownership went through various venture capitalists until it was sold back to a cinema operator in 2017, the chain American Multi-Cinema.

 

After AMC decided to close the historic building completely in 2023, the future for the art décor cinema, all its grand fittings and the working Compton organ (now the last of three left in British cinemas), Merlin Cinemas saved and acquired the building, and re-opened it as PLAZA at Christmas 2023.  

 

Now (once again) regular organ recitals happen before special presentations or during concerts.