Movie Magic

We're sittin and Nat fae Howat Street just happens to mention how he was walking past the Lyceum today and he saw the metal grills open and men taking cinema seats out and loading them into a van.
"Whit?" I shout excitedly.
He gets a fright and wonders what he should tell me when I start pressing him for full information.

"It was Pakistanis. They had a van and they were carrying seats out to it."
"And could you see inside the Lyceum?"
"No, not really. Just down a dark corridor."
"A-ha, but there was a corridor - and what could you see down it?"
"Nothing, it was dark."
"Yes, but there must be some kind of hall behind the front of the cinema - for them to keep the seats in. And were the seats red velvet?"

"Em, yeah, they were."

Just what is going on here?