Posted on 3rd Apr
Mansfield Palace Theatre is returning to its roots by offering a selection of film screenings.
The venue originally opened its doors in 1910 as The Palace Electric Theatre — the town’s first purpose-built cinema.
Now the Palace will be reliving its heritage by screening a programme of timeless classics in its historic setting, and next door at Mansfield Museum.
Among the year-round Electric Palace Theatre programme will be cult films, art documentaries, films by independent producers and special event screenings. It aims to build on successful one-off film events and themed screenings.
Sian Booth, cultural services manager at Mansfield District Council, which runs the theatre, said: “When we reopened after the pandemic, we sought new ways to be creative, attract new audiences, and expand what we do.
“Mansfield Palace Theatre has its origins as a cinema, and since the town hasn’t got an independent cinema, we want to reconnect with that history by embedding film into what we do here.
“What began as an experiment in 2021 has since grown into a major offering, which joins our partnership with Mansfield Town Film Festival to grow a love of film in Mansfield.
“Through the film programme, our goal is to welcome local people, create shared experiences, and make our spaces more accessible. Film has the power to unite people and spark conversation and we want to offer opportunities for film lovers to share something — not stream something.”
The first screening of the programme will be a special event screening on Friday, 25 April when the award-winning film Earth (2007) will be shown beneath Gaia, a giant revolving art installation of the Earth suspended above the theatre’s stage for a week from Saturday 19 April.
Narrated by Hollywood star Patrick Stewart, the feature-length version of the 2006 documentary TV series Planet Earth follows the migration paths of three animal families: the polar bear, humped back whale and the African elephant.
It took five years to make using high definition cameras and takes viewers on a breathtaking journey through the changing seasons on Earth and daily struggle of life across the planet. Tickets are limited and can be found at: https://www.mansfield.gov.uk/
Full details of the programme are at www.mansfield.gov.uk/palacetheatre/homepage/20/electric-palace-theatre
