Green’s Dictionary of Slang

the Pavilion Theatre, London; thus any theatre or cinema called the Pavilion.

1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 197: PAV., the Pavilion Theatre — sometimes called the P.V.
1879		London Life 26 July 5/2: In fact, after his statement as to the profits of the ‘Pav,’ ‘They swore they never would leave him’.
1888		J. Runciman Chequers 107: Dinner at the Rainbow, Pav., or Trocadero [...] That’s life!
1899		A. Binstead Gal’s Gossip 146: We found a mug from the country / We took him to the Pav.
1899		Kipling ‘A Little Prep’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 181: Forty shillin’s or a month for hackin’ the chucker-out of the Pavvy on the shins.
1908		Sporting Times 25 Apr. 4/3: ‘Levinsky at the Wedding’ undoubtedly catches on at the ‘Pav.’.
1913		Sport (Adelaide) 28 June 9/4: They Say [...] That Queenie G. and Scottie G. were very flash with the little tabbies from the Pav .
1914		E. Wittmann ‘Clipped Words’ in DN IV:ii 133: Pav. The Pavilion Music Hall.
1924		Mail (Adelaide) 7 June 13/4: [advt] The PAV Where the Big Pictures Play.
1929		J.B. Booth London Town 98: The ‘Pav.’ confined itself strictly to variety.
1976		H. Leonard Time Was (1981) Act I: I was standing outside the Pav.