The Cinema Rex, with 541 seats, opened in November 1936 in a building that had been purchased by the Portuguese Spiritist Federation in 1929.

[1][2][3] In January 1968 the cinema was closed and management was taken over by the impresario, Vasco Morgado, who named the building in honour of his wife, the actress Laura Alves.

The first play performed at this theatre was a Portuguese version of Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall with Ruy de Carvalho, Brunilde Júdice, Jacinto Ramos, Manuela Maria and Laura Alves being the main actors.

The popular actress Ivone Silva gave her last performance there in the play Cá Estão Eles (Here they are).

[1][2][3] The theatre closed in December 1987 in the year after the death of Alves, and the building was then used for commercial purposes.