Public vote 3 to 1 in favour of 'Abbeygate Picturehouse' - live opera from The New York Met on 1st May

The new owners of Bury St Edmunds’ oldest cinema say they have been ‘overwhelmed’ by the enthusiasm of the local community in voting for the name of their cinema in Hatter Street, which by popular vote will be called Abbeygate Picturehouse.

The cinema will re-open this week-end (30 April) after Picturehouse Cinemas completes the first stage of its major refurbishment programme, with a live opera performance by satellite from New York’s The Metropolitan Opera on Saturday 1st May. In a complete reinvention of what cinema goers usually expect, the group has installed luxury recliner seats and plush sofas in the two completely refurbished auditoria, with new digital screens and 3D.

Lyn Goleby, Managing Director of Picturehouse Cinemas, says: “We had over 200 replies to our request to help choose the name and three to one voted in favour of Abbeygate Picturehouse. We’ve now completed stage one in our transformation of the cinema and are thrilled to be screening live opera this Saturday which cinema goers can enjoy in the comfort and style of luxury new seats.”

Armida will be broadcast live by satellite in high definition direct from The Metropolitan Opera in New York at 6pm on Saturday 1st May at Abbeygate Picturehouse, Hatter Street, Bury St Edmunds. Tickets are £25. For bookings and details of membership offers telephone 0871 902 5722 or book online at


www.picturehouses.co.uk

Stage two of the refurbishment programme will focus on the café, foyer and exterior of the cinema. The café will be created in the adjacent Number 4 Hatter Street, with an upstairs private function room giving direct access to the cinema screens for parties and private events for members.

Apart from the luxurious comfort and style of the new Abbeygate Picturehouse, cinema goers will be able to enjoy a new range and variety of films and alternative arts including independent, foreign-language and art-house films from around the World.

Members of Picturehouse Cinemas will enjoy a range of offers and privileges. Lyn Goleby added: “We are delighted that people are already joining even though the cinema is still a building site.”

Renée Fleming stars in the title role of Rossini's version of Armida, the mythical story of a sorceress who enthrals men in her island prison. She stars opposite no fewer than six tenors including Lawrence Brownlee, Bruce Ford, José Manuel Zapata, Barry Banks, Kobie van Rensburg. The conductor is Riccardo Frizza.

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Luxury for cinema goers: Local boys try out new sofas destined for Abbeygate Picturehouse in Hatter Street, which re-opens after refurbishment on 30 April.

Press Invite

You are invited to a re-opening party on Thursday 29 April starting at 6pm. At 6.45 pm there will be private screenings of The Hurt Locker (15), Winner of Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars and The Secret in their eyes (18) winner of Best Foreign Language Film.

Further press information

For further press information about Picturehouse Cinemas in Bury St Edmunds please call:


Penny Arbuthnot, Project PR Tel 01473 326401 (07885 238374)

Penny@projectpr.biz

Or Amy Bullard, Project PR Tel 01473 326401

Picturehouse Cinemas Press Office: contact Gabriel Swartland on 020 7292 2165 or gabriel.s@picturehouses.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

Local poll to choose cinema name

The cinema, in Hatter Street in the heart of Bury St Edmunds, was to be called The Hatter Street Picturehouse, but an art gallery across the road is called just this, so the owners asked people to give their preference on one of two names for the cinema, either Bury St Edmunds Picturehouse or Abbeygate Picturehouse, due to its proximity to the town’s historic Abbey Gate, which dates from the 14th Century.

Background on Picturehouse Cinemas

1. Picturehouse Cinemas in Bury St Edmunds is at 4 Hatter Street Bury St Edmunds IP33 1NE. Telephone 0871 902 5722 or see www.picturehouses.co.uk or www.twitter.com/picturehouses

2. Screen 1 seats 120 and Screen 2 seats 70 and both auditoria have been completely refurbished in stage 1 with luxury recliner seats, sofas, 3D digital screens, new carpets and sound walling.

3. The adjacent Bingo Club is not affected by Picturehouses acquisition of the Hollywood Cinema.

4. As well as the Hollywood Cinema, Picturehouses has purchased number 4 Hatter Street, which will become a café, delicatessen and bistro.

5. This is Bury St Edmunds oldest cinema and there have been several owners since it first opened in 1924, most recently Hollywood Cinemas.

6. Picturehouse Cinemas is owned and operated by City Screen and is Britain’s largest circuit of independent cinemas.

7. Formed in 1989 to challenge the multiplex model, City Screen provides cinemas in city centre locations to serve local communities and offer a diverse choice of films and events.

8. City Screen runs 19 cinemas and programmes a further 30 independently operated venues, drawing on over 18 years’ experience in tailoring diverse and commercially successful content spanning arthouse, independent, classic, world and Hollywood cinema.

9. Each cinema is programmed in response to its local audience, and most venues have mainstream blockbusters and quality crossover titles in the mix.

10. City Screen prides itself on being at the forefront of digital cinema and other business and technological developments. These have included live cinecasts of filmmaker Q&As, comedy, music, and productions from the New York Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House and the National Theatre, broadcast to audiences throughout the UK.

11. The group opened its first cinema the Phoenix in Oxford which was bought as a going concern when the previous owners retired. In 1992 it opened its first custom-built cinema, Clapham Picturehouse, and since then has grown steadily through a mixture of new builds and acquisitions, particularly in university cities such as Oxford, Cambridge, London, Brighton and York

12. Central to the company philosophy is maintaining the individuality of each cinema.

13. Other features are:

a. building architecturally interesting cinemas in city centre locations

b. providing cafe-bars as an integral part of the cinema going experience

c. employing staff who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about film

d. providing printed programmes and online communications which inform, educate and encourage planned entertainment

e. running a cinema membership scheme and clubs involving diverse groups such as children, new parents and the elderly

f. generating and partnering on educational work and courses which develop appreciation and understanding of film