The Grand Theatre - once Southampton's most popular theatre

This pattern of extraordinary highs and lows eventually came to an end in the late 1950s when it finally ceased operations.

It has been 125 years since The Grand, which stood on the corner of Windsor Terrace, opposite the Civic Centre, opened its doors.

For many decades, The Grand was the setting for some of the world's most well-known performers.

Notables such as Sarah Bernhardt, Robertson Hare, George Arliss, Dame Sybil Thorndike and Frankie Howerd all graced its stage with everything from classic plays to comedy acts.

During shows, a black and white feline could often be spotted strolling across its stage. This was known to cause moments of confusion amongst those on stage due to its unexpected presence.

Since it opened in 1898, The Grand was renowned as one of the foremost places for entertainment within the city. It attained a name for its cosiness and remained popular until the early 1920s.

When it came to the 1904 edition of the Southampton Annual, The Grand was a clear favourite for its excellent location and budget-friendly tickets. A ticket for a performance would range from 2s 6d (12.5p) for a seat in the dress circle to 3d (2p) for a seat in the gallery.

By the end of the 1920s, The Grand was facing a tumultuous period. Despite this, the Denville Players Repertory Company continued to thrive when they performed.

However, in 1932, following their departure, The Grand was forced to shut its doors.

After managing to reopen in 1934, the venue was unfortunately forced to shut its doors again three years later in 1937. Following this closure, two more years of dormancy ensued.

In March 1939 another local venue, The Hippodrome in Ogle Road, shut and within days The Grand reopened under the new guise of the New Hippodrome.

The theatre continued to operate until the Second World War began to bite and a notice appeared on the door stating: "Owing to the present international situation, this theatre will be closed until further notice."

On December 27, 1950, the doors of the original venue opened again to present Goldilocks and the Three Bears in pantomime form. The return also marked the reinstatement of its original name - The Grand.

Management decided that pantomimes and other innocuous forms of entertainment were to be their way forward, although the theatre sorely missed the revenues generated by nudes and fan dancers.

The audience numbers were not encouraging, but despite that, the theatre stayed open until 1959 when Seagulls over Sorrento was its final show.

Ultimately, it had to close its doors and it was curtains for what was once the city's most popular theatre.