Back in business
Cinema set to open doors after Covid closure
CLEVEDON’S historic Curzon Cinema will reopen this month despite news other operators across the UK are closing sites.
The seaside town’s cinema, the oldest continually operating cinema in the UK, will pull open its doors on October 16.
The news comes at the same time as other operators such as Cineworld and Picturehouse announced they will shut sites until further notice this week, blaming coronavirus restrictions and studios delaying the release of major films for the closures.
The Curzon, like all other entertainment venues in the UK, was forced to close in March due to the Government lockdown.
It was the first time the cinema, which opened in 1912 and stayed open through the first and second world wars, had been forced to close.
Bosses at the picture house plan to run two screenings a day, although the timings have yet to be finalised.
Numbers of people allowed at the screenings will also vastly reduce with the normal capacity of an audience of 320 being shrunk to around 90. All seats for screenings will be numbered and people are being urged to book online where possible.
Groups of up to six and family groups and households will be allowed to sit together.
However space will be left in between each group.
Customers will be asked to wear a face mask through the film apart from when eating or drinking.
Hand sanitiser stations will be located around the auditorium and a one way system has been put in place.
Screens have been put up at counters and staff and volunteers will wear face masks while on duty.
An enhanced programme of cleaning has also been put in place between each screening.
Curzon spokeswoman Petra Mansour-Moffat said: “No one knows what challenges the industry will face next. But it is our full intention to open for business once again on October 16.
“We carried out a survey during lockdown and there is a real demand from the community for the cinema to reopen and we are looking forward to welcoming people back.”
We carried out a survey during lockdown and there is a real demand from the community for the cinema to reopen
Petra Mansour-Moffat