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Save Our Cinema!!

Posted by kelleee from Vale Of Glamorgan - Published on 09/03/2010 at 12:03
6 comments » - Tagged as History, Festivals, Culture, Movies

It’s been two years since The Theatre Royal closed. Bob Armstrong, the chairman on the Save Our Cinema Appeal may be launching an appeal to buy and re-open Barry Cinema. He has approached other cinema operators to see if they are interested in opening Theatre Royal. If no interest is shown in the re-opening the cinema, then the public might be asked help with the appeal. If enough local people work together to raise awareness of this appeal then maybe something will be done about it.

It’s a shame that the cinema closed. For a lot of teenagers in Barry now, travelling back and for to Cardiff to watch a film is too expensive. Or they just have to way to get there and back. When Theatre Royal was open going to the cinema was a lot easier. Everything about Barry cinema was easier to get to and travelling expenses, popcorn and the cinema tickets were a lot cheaper. Although Theatre Royal wasn’t as big or fancy as Odeon or Vue, it was a fun place young people in Barry could go locally and for not much money.

An exhibition is going to be held in Victoria Park in April to try and raise awareness of the re-opening of the cinema. Also the exhibition will outline the history of the cinema and the impact it has had on Barry. The original cinema was built in 1906 and opened in 1907, but a fire broke out and left the building destroyed in 1909. However it was rebuilt as the cinema we know in 1910. A second screen was added to the cinema in the 1990’s, replacing the stalls from where it used to be a live theatre.

Students from Barry Boy’s Comprehensive have created a short film about the cinema. Armstrong hopes this will give Theatre Royal the advertisement it needs to raise awareness of the appeal. The film will be shown on ITV Wales News this month. Hopefully this will be just the thing to start plans to re-open Barry cinema.