For 18 years, the residents of Blyth have had to be content with watching a film in their home or travelling to watch a film.
However, that's all changed with the opening of the Phoenix Theatre's new cinema. The 300-seat theatre houses the first big screen in town since the Wallaw closed in 2004.
Operational from 1937, the Wallaw was reopened as a Wetherspoon's in 2013 with the original cinema projector still standing in the entrance of the pub. However, moviegoers have had to travel to Cramlington or Newcastle to get their film fix.
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Now though, the Phoenix has invested in 'state-of-the-art' cinema projection equipment to provide six films a week, aiming to attract communities from the town and its surrounding areas. It launched its new cinema programme on Easter Monday with Sing 2 and The Duke , both films welcoming customers old and new.
Bringing cinema back to Blyth has been in the works for a while, and was delayed by the Coronavirus lockdowns. The theatre even had a Sunday Cinema once a month 'about 7 or 8 years ago,' with an external company providing the screen and equipment - but the investment now means that The Phoenix has its own.
Kyle Crook, Theatre Operational Manager, said: "Now we've got state of the art surround sound, a laser project and a proper screen. We're looking at around 3 weeks behind Vue in Cramlington on film releases.
"For people here, that's their closest cinema and a lot of them don't have the facilities to get to Cramlington. So, it's about bringing a new element into the community to make it accessible for all and a nice affordable community aspect as well.
"Cinema is a dying art really, and instead of coming into a big multiplex where there's no personal touch or interaction, we're giving that personal cinema and theatre experience in one. It's all about that personal touch."
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As well as three films a day on Wednesdays and Sundays, there are plans for kids' clubs on Saturday mornings with entertainers and prizes before screenings. While films are attracting 20 - 30 people at the minute, Kyle is hoping that as the word gets out, those numbers increase.
And it won't affect the theatre programme. Though the screen is large, the screen is one a motor and drops down ahead of the stage, which has enabled the two set days for films each week.
Kyle continued: "The aim is that it's going to provide a community aspect to Blyth. We want to bring the live-streamed films, we want the live concerts, we want the National Theatre.
"We hope that Blyth gets behind it and it's successful because we think it's a brilliant thing for the town and we're proud to be the people who have brought cinema back to Blyth. It's something we've wanted to do for a long time and we've put some heavy investment behind it. We hope people get behind it and this becomes people’s local cinema rather than travelling to the big chains."
The Phoenix Theatre cinema programme runs every Wednesday and Sunday with films on at 12pm, 3pm and 7pm. Tickets are £7.50 for adults, £6.50 for children or £20 for a family ticket - with upcoming listing and information available on the website.
