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Fact File Broadway Cinema and Theatre, Letchworth Garden City, UK
The beautiful art deco venue, designed by Bennett and Bidwell and built by Howard Hurst, became a popular venue for occasional rallies, speeches and live music after its opening. And the site itself featured in the 2013 movie “The World’s End”, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, with the cinema doubling as “The Mermaid”, a pub at the heart of the story.
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The Broadway Cinema and Theatre, located 30 minutes north of London in Letchworth Garden City, UK, has been in operation since 1936 when it opened its doors to a packed screening of “Follow the Fleet”, starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
L
CT Magazine staff ike so many of its peers, the building
stand-up
has undergone both major and minor
screens showcase first-run movie content, as well as
refurbishments since its opening,
event cinema, including ballet andopera. And the venue
reflecting the cultural evolution and
is owned by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation;
demands of this local, vibrant and
a
diverse community. These changes
improve the lifestyle and wellbeing of Letchworth
have seen the site morph from the original single-screen
residents, as well as enhancing recreation and leisure
site opened more than 85 years ago, into a modern four-
opportunities for all.
comedy.
charitable
The
foundation
three
with
additional
clear
smaller
objectives
to
screen cinema that has retained its art deco features. At
Arguably one of the more significant changes occurred
the heart of the building is a large multi-purpose 400+ seat
over 11 years ago when the site moved from film to digital,
auditorium complete with stage, and designed to host
converting its four existing 35mm film projectors to
cinema screenings (via a large electric roller screen), as well
Kinoton Series 2 projectors, at the same time as installing
as live theatrical productionsincluding musicals, plays and
3D technology into two of its four screens. This was a move
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