State Cinema
State Cinema is a Grade II* listed former cinema and theatre in Grays, Essex, noted for its preserved late-1930s Art Deco architecture and Compton theatre organ.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
State Cinema is a historic former cinema and theatre building in Grays, Essex. It opened on 5 September 1938 as one of the largest and most technologically advanced cinemas in the county, with seating for approximately 2,200 people, air conditioning, a fully equipped stage, and an illuminated three-manual Compton organ. The building was designed by F. G. M. Chancellor under the Matcham & Co. architectural practice. Chancellor had inherited the practice after the death of Frank Matcham and was also associated with Frederick's Electric Theatres Company. The cinema was conceived as a large single-screen entertainment venue capable of presenting both films and live performances. Its stage facilities allowed it to operate as a theatre, while the organ provided musical accompaniment and interval entertainment. The opening programme was The Hurricane, shown at the building's first evening performance. The cinema remained substantially intact throughout its years of operation, partly because its location and continuing use did not lead to major internal subdivision. During the 1970s, changing audience habits and rising operating costs placed pressure on the venue. The stalls were closed, staffing was reduced, and the organ fell silent. A campaign to preserve the cinema helped persuade its then operator, Mecca Leisure Group, to invest in improvements. Volunteers associated with the Friends of the State later helped restore the organ sufficiently for Sunday concerts to resume in the early 1980s. These concerts attracted organ enthusiasts and recording hobbyists as well as local audiences. The expansion of multiplex cinemas and the growth of home video contributed to a further decline in attendance. Mecca eventually withdrew, and the State Cinema held its final Mecca-era screening on 5 September 1988, exactly fifty years after its opening, showing The Hurricane again. Plans for redevelopment threatened the building with demolition, but a preservation order secured its survival and it was subsequently listed. After the cinema closed, an independent operator briefly reopened it in 1989 under the name The Grays State Theatre. Films, organ concerts, and low-cost public events returned, but the operation was not financially sustainable. In 1991 the building became Charlestons, a wine bar and nightclub. The venue hosted live music, variety and film programmes, boxing events, and further organ concerts before closing in 1998. A proposal to convert the property into a Pentecostal church was rejected in 1999. The building's heritage status was raised to Grade II* in June 2000, reflecting the importance of its surviving Art Deco interior. The former cinema site was later connected with a Morrisons supermarket development, and responsibility for the building's maintenance changed several times. Persistent water ingress, defective roof coverings, drainage problems, vandalism, theft, and deterioration of internal fittings placed the property at increasing risk. The State Cinema was added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register with a very bad assessment. Ownership passed to TSP Properties in 2006 and later to J D Wetherspoon, which acquired the building for conversion into a public house. Conversion work began in 2019 but stalled in 2020. Wetherspoon put the property up for sale in 2022, and it was sold before auction in May 2023 to Naveed Ahmad through London Developments Global. The later owner began roof repairs after intervention by Thurrock Council. The building's future use remains uncertain, but the cinema is no longer operating as a cinema and its principal significance is now architectural, cultural, and heritage-related.
History
State Cinema was built in Grays, Essex, after twenty houses in George Street were demolished to make way for the project. Designed by F. G. M. Chancellor under Matcham & Co., the building opened at 7:30 p.m. on 5 September 1938. Its original design combined a large auditorium with air conditioning, a substantial stage, and a Compton organ that could rise from the orchestra pit. These facilities allowed the venue to present both motion pictures and live entertainment. The cinema operated as a major local venue for approximately fifty years. By the 1970s, however, competition and changing entertainment habits led to reduced staffing, closure of the stalls, and the discontinuation of regular organ performances. Mecca Leisure Group invested in improvements following a local campaign, while volunteers later restored the organ sufficiently to support concerts. The revival was temporary. Multiplex development, falling cinema attendance, and home video contributed to the venue's final closure under Mecca on 5 September 1988. Demolition was proposed after closure, but listing protection prevented redevelopment of the building. A short-lived independent cinema and theatre operation reopened in 1989. In 1991 the property was converted into Charlestons, a wine bar and nightclub, which hosted music, variety, film, boxing, and organ events until 1998. A church conversion proposal was rejected in 1999. In 2000, the building's listing was upgraded to Grade II*, protecting its Art Deco interior. The cinema then passed through several ownership and development contexts. Morrisons acquired the surrounding site for a supermarket development and made commitments concerning the building's upkeep. Inspections identified serious water ingress through the roof and drainage system. The property was sold to TSP Properties in 2006, but proposed leisure redevelopment did not resolve its maintenance problems. Campaigners, including the Save the State group, repeatedly sought action on the deteriorating structure. Claims that the building had been made watertight were challenged by later inspections, and the Compton organ suffered major losses during a 2011 burglary. J D Wetherspoon later acquired the building for conversion into a public house. Work began in 2019 but stopped in 2020. The property was marketed for sale in 2022 and sold before auction in May 2023 to Naveed Ahmad's London Developments Global. Continuing roof deterioration led Thurrock Council to require repairs. The building remains a protected former cinema and theatre whose long-term use and restoration outcome are uncertain.
- 2023
Property changes hands
[1]London Developments Global acquired the building for Naveed Ahmad before its planned auction.
- 2020
Conversion project stalls
[1]Work on the proposed public-house conversion stopped.
- 2019
Public-house conversion begins
[1]J D Wetherspoon began work on a proposed conversion of the building.
- 2011
Organ damaged by theft
[1]Most of the Compton organ's original metal pipes and fittings were stolen during a burglary.
- 2006
TSP Properties acquires the building
[1]The State Cinema was sold to TSP Properties for proposed leisure redevelopment.
- 2000
Listing upgraded to Grade II*
[1]The building received higher heritage protection because of its architectural and interior significance.
- 1998
Charlestons closes
[1]The nightclub operation ended after approximately seven years.
- 1991
Charlestons opens
[1]The building became a wine bar and nightclub hosting live entertainment and other public events.
- 1989
Short-lived theatre reopening
[1]The building reopened as The Grays State Theatre with films and organ concerts, but the independent operation soon failed.
- 1988
Cinema closes
[1]The final Mecca-era screening took place on 5 September, fifty years after the opening.
Products and positioning
A large historic entertainment venue combining cinema, theatre, live music, and organ performance, now primarily recognized as a protected Art Deco heritage building rather than an operating cinema.
Cinema venue · 1938
Cinema auditorium
The original single-screen auditorium seated approximately 2,200 people and was designed as a large late-1930s cinema. Its preserved interior is a major reason for the building's Grade II* listing and heritage importance.
Theatre venue · 1938
Theatre and live-entertainment facilities
The building included a full stage capable of supporting theatre and live entertainment in addition to film screenings. Later uses included music, variety programmes, boxing events, and nightclub performances.
Musical instrument · 1938
Compton theatre organ
The venue's illuminated three-manual, six-rank Compton organ was installed in the orchestra pit and could be raised on a lift. It contained approximately 500 pipes and a Melotone electronic unit. Most original metal pipes and fittings were stolen in 2011; the instrument was later removed for restoration, and its present location is not established in the supplied sources.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Save the State campaign
United Kingdom
The Save the State campaign publicized the building's deterioration and pressed its owners to address water damage and restoration.
Outcome. Owners issued assurances about the building's condition, but campaigners and later inspections disputed whether the roof had actually been made watertight.
- 1982Friends of the State organ campaign
United Kingdom
Volunteers organized restoration work on the Compton organ and revived Sunday afternoon organ concerts.
Outcome. The organ became usable again for performances and attracted enthusiasts to the building.
- 1970Campaign to keep the cinema open
United Kingdom
A local campaign sought to prevent the declining cinema from closing and helped encourage Mecca Leisure Group to fund improvements.
Outcome. The venue remained open for several more years, but ultimately closed in 1988.
Brand decisions
2023
Sell the property to London Developments GlobalM&ABackground
The proposed Wetherspoon conversion had stalled, while the building continued to suffer from roof and water damage.
Action taken
J D Wetherspoon sold the property before auction to London Developments Global, associated with Naveed Ahmad.
Aftermath
Roof repairs began following council intervention, while the building's long-term future remained unresolved.
2015
Propose conversion into a public houseStrategyBackground
J D Wetherspoon acquired the property with the intention of giving the former cinema a new hospitality use.
Action taken
The company pursued conversion of the listed building into a public house, with works beginning in 2019.
Aftermath
The project stalled in 2020 and the property was later placed on the market.
1991
Convert the building into CharlestonsStrategyBackground
After the brief failure of The Grays State Theatre, the vacant venue required an alternative operating model.
Action taken
The building reopened as a wine bar and nightclub with music, variety, film, boxing, and organ events.
Aftermath
Charlestons operated until 1998 before the building again became disused.
1988
End regular cinema operationsStrategyBackground
Falling audiences, multiplex competition, and home video weakened the economics of the traditional single-screen cinema.
Action taken
Mecca Leisure Group left the building and the cinema closed after a final commemorative screening.
Aftermath
The building avoided demolition through heritage protection and was subsequently used for other forms of entertainment.
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