Nearly 100 years ago, the Moray Playhouse first opened its doors to bring the big screen to Elgin.
The cinema was designed by UK’s first Labour Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald’s architect son Alistair.
Elgin Picture House Limited’s Dr Thomas W. H. Alexander chose him for the job to design the new cinema. It was built on gardens behind the City Hotel on the High Street.
The long entrance hall below the hall was filled with portraits of popular film personalities.
In the early days a ground floor cafe restaurant was also there for those who flocked to the movies.
The auditorium once sat 1,522 people in stalls and balcony.
In 1986, the entrance moved from the High Street to the side of the screen.
At the same time the main auditorium was divided with what was the front stall becoming screen 1 with 330 seats.
Meanwhile, the former balcony became a smaller second screen with 220 seats and is still served by the original projection room.
Today, about 92 years on, the Moray Playhouse still remains open with three screens.
What are your Moray Playhouse memories?
Sometimes, it is nice to reminisce.
On social media, we asked you for pictures and memories from the Moray Playhouse.
Locals certainly recall it well over the years.
Robert Innes said: “I used to work in the pictures as a projectionist with huge spools of film.”
Evelyn M Grant added: “My late brother Jimmy Simpson was a projectionist there in the 1960s.
“Ian McLean was the manager then and his wife Elizabeth ran the cafe.”
A former general manager of Caledonian Associated Cinemas (CAC) Alex Braid provided us with some pictures which give us a glimpse into the venue when it first opened.
Inverness firm CAC owned Moray Playhouse for many years. The firm grew to be the biggest cinema chain in Scotland and operated more than 50 cinemas at its peak.
Some of the photos were sent to him by David Low, a former Picture House projectionist who died recently.
He recalled: “In around 1983 we were refreshing the front of the cinema with a repaint and new signs on the canopy.
“It was still on the High Street and it occurred to me suddenly that the Playhouse not only served Elgin with film entertainment but, in fact, the whole of Moray.
The moment Moray Playhouse was born
“In what I still regard as a moment of inspiration, I instructed the contractor to produce the new sign with the name Moray Playhouse. And this it still remains.”
He also remembered the cinema successfully making alterations and fitting the new drapes on the stage.
It came as the gold satin festoon curtain had be taken down in the 80s as it was no longer safe.
Spooky sightings in cinema
In 2015, bosses considered hiring paranormal activity professionals to try and prove the cinema is haunted.
After reports of cinema staff and construction workers feeling they were being watched and hearing voices where no-one had been.
It took place during upgrades to create the third screen.
At the time, Moray Playhouse manager Martin Thomson recalled seeing someone entering the toilets but never coming back out.
Meanwhile, early morning cleaners have frequently spoken of being “a bit freaked out” by the sense of someone walking behind them.
Another bizarre incident was a handbag mysteriously flying from a counter top with no-one near it.
‘Stressful job at times, but worth it’
Liam McBey used to be an assistant manager at Moray Playhouse.
He said: ” It was a really stressful job at times but I thought it was worth it as I really appreciated the history of the place.
“Up at the top of the building or in a storage cupboard I’d find old film reel boxes or the old ice cream trays that were used in the intervals years ago.
“I always thought it’d be good to put that kind of stuff on display to show customers how long the Moray Playhouse had been going.”
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