Huge demand for 5p film tickets
MOVIE fans have snapped up more than 1,300 tickets in just two hours for a series of screenings celebrating the reopening of an independent cinema.
Elliot Furniss
MOVIE fans have snapped up more than 1,300 tickets in just two hours for a series of screenings celebrating the reopening of an independent cinema.
The Regal Theatre in Stowmarket has been closed for four months after being damaged during an arson attack but will reopen soon with a weekend of showings for which tickets are set at just five pence - the same rate as when the site first opened back in 1936.
The idea for the bargain screenings of Oscar-nominated films An Education and The Princes and the Frog came from manager David marsh.
He even had to seek special permission from distributors Disney and E1 Films to hold the low price screenings, which will take place on the weekend of March 5, 6 and 7.
Mr Marsh said there had been a fantastic spirit among the customers as they queued down Ipswich Street to get their hands on some of the cheap tickets.
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He said: “We were looking through some things from the archives and we saw how much the prices were when we first opened and I thought it was a great idea.
“I thought it would be simple but we had to work with the film companies - Disney agreed straight away and I went to London to see E1 and they said 'yes', so thanks to them we are able to do it.
“It seems to have captured the imagination of people.”
Mr Marsh said there were now extra screenings on the bill to meet the incredible demand for tickets, which are limited to 10 per customer.
He added: “We were doing 12 performances but we are now doing more to keep up with demand. At worst, people had to queue for just half an hour or 35 minutes but the queue was so good natured and everyone was absolutely brilliant.”
For more information about the Regal, visit www.regalstowmarket.co.uk.
