Cinema to open in top of New Empire Theatre (From Echo)

Cinema to open in top of New Empire Theatre

9:00am Tuesday 29th July 2008 in News By Kate Eshmade

A NEW community-based cinema is being planned for Southend.

The top floor of the New Empire Theatre, in Alexandra Street, is to be turned into an independent picture house, with room for more 400 filmgoers.

A team of enthusiasts called the White Bus, which include the founders of Leigh Film Society, plans to turn the upstairs into the cinema, which will have a 300 to 400-seat main cinema, a 60 to 80-seat executive cinema, a cafe/bar and a shop.

It will also house Leigh Film Society’s extensive archive, and provide room to host talks and training courses.

A leaking roof and lack of funds have meant the space has been used as storage, but thanks to Southend Council’s recent backing of the theatre, plans are under way to repair the roof and make the area useable again.

A White Bus spokesman said: “It will be a phased approach.

“We’re hoping to go in there from September and set up an office, and gradually expand from there.”

“The first programme of films is expected to begin early next year. It marks the end of a seven-year search for a permanent home for the Leigh Film Society. We’ve been looking for a long time,” said the spokesman.

“We’ve looked throughout Leigh, but it’s always come to nothing. Moving our search to Southend has been perfect really. There’s a lot of regeneration going on in Southend, and with the university as well, it feels like the ideal timing.

“It’s still in a sensitive stage as everything is being drawn up and signed, but it is an exciting time.

“We’ve been handing out flyers asking people what kind of films they would like to see and the feedback has been amazing.

It’s a community-based cinema and it’s got to be driven by what the public wants to see.”

Roger Marlow, trustee and director of the New Empire Theatre, said: “With the roof about to be fixed this opens up an area that is as big as downstairs, and once it’s in use it will really set the place alight.

“I couldn’t be more pleased. We’re hoping to get a formal agreement in place to work with White Bus from 1st September.”