Apollo Theatre

Apollo Theatre can refer to several venues in South Africa.

Apollo Theatre, Victoria West (Northern Cape)

The Apollo Theatre on the main road is the longest-surviving Art Deco cinema in South Africa.

Its history dates to 1923 when Greek immigrant, Andrew Aristides Bassil, came to Victoria West to manage the Good Hope Café. Some years after his arrival, Bassil built the original Apollo Theatre behind the café. During the 1950’s Bassil decided to upgrade, and in March 1957 the new Apollo Theatre opened. The cinema had been substantially enlarged and modernised, boasting two galleries, a raked auditorium, upholstered seats, and new equipment capable of projecting wide–screen cinemascope films. The local press described the Apollo as ‘the most beautiful and efficient bioscope in the Great Karoo’.

After the mid-1970s advent of television in SA, the theatre closed down. However, it was later opened again and is run under the auspices of the Apollo Development Association, and hosts a regular programme of special events, live performances and feature films.

Sources

https://karoospace.co.za/victoria-west-2/

https://www.theheritageportal.co.za/article/south-africas-forgotten-bioscopes

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