The Scala

There is nothing I hate more than a majestic piece of history just forgotten, worse still nothing I hate more than history forgotten so soon after it’s time. Sat on Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, London is the well known Scala Nightclub, a location popular with upcoming bands and singers and now legendary in the Drum And Bass scene. Since 1999 Scala Nightclub has carved itself a certain reputation in London nightlife. But what is the saddest tale of all is that beneath what you see now, is an infinitely more appealing Scala that for over 10 years became a hub of activity and controversy.

Scala in the 1980s

The site where Scala sat had a very varied life during the 1920’s Scala operated as The King’s Cross Cinema, and had for a period of time reasonable trade. Between 1921 and 1929 the cinema changed hands more times than some had varied dinners in the same timeline. From 1929 to the Second World War trade was constant and the cinema was owned by Gaumont British Pictures. But at some point, exact date unknown the building was bombed by German fighter planes flying overhead. The result was that the cinema closed and fell into a dire state of disrepair until 1952, when it re-opened as The Gaumont. In 1962 the Cinema was bought out and re-opened as the Odeon which lasted until 1970. In 1971 the cinema went in a dramatically different direction re-opening as Cineclub; the choice of movies was strictly of an adult nature. With raids, embarrassment and all sorts of other controversy after four months of trading Cineclub came to a sudden, but highly expected close. Later in the same year the cinema re-opened as The King’s Cross Cinema again with a themed cinema and venue for music. Having then tried to change into a sports complex, the cinema finally closed in its known form in 1975 and began to fall into disrepair. It was the form the cinema took in 1980 that was the most bizarre, as a sort of Eco-Project the legendary seating was pulled out, untold historical damage done to the building, in order to lay grass and show strange “nature” style films, called the Primatarium the key interest to the then owner/tenant was monkeys.

In 1977 on Tottenham Street a group formed in a cinema known as The Other Cinema. This group was called the Scala Club. Scala was a speciality club showing classic movies to a select group of individuals. In 1978 Stephen Woolley (later the part owner of Palace Pictures), took over Scala and began to change the format moving on from classic to cult movies. In 1981 Scala had grown in popularity and saw a window of opportunity by acquiring tenancy of the Primatarium. Opening under their own rights as The Scala, the cinema screened the original King Kong and progressed to show more unusual and progressively daring pictures.