Historic cinema’s balcony to reopen after more than 50 years

To say that Clevedon’s lovely Curzon cinema is steeped in history would be an understatement. The old place opened way back in 1912, just after the RMS Titanic went down. In fact, the cinema’s very first screening was a special charity matinee for families of victims of the disaster. It’s operated almost continuously since then, with only a brief covid interruption, surviving the competition from TV that did for many cinemas and avoiding the architectural vandalism that saw many old picture palaces carved up into smaller screens.

How the balcony looked until recently

But the slump in cinemagoing combined with the three day week of the early 1970s led to the decision to close the beautiful curved balcony in 1972. Since 1996, the cinema has been run as a charity – the Curzon Community Cinema. Much renovation has taken place since then, notably the restoration of the leaky roof in 2020. There had always been a plan to reopen the balcony, which was accessible to the public only on guided tours during the cinema’s open days.

Restoration work begins

A funding campaign succeeded in raising £80,500 from the supportive local community. The balcony’s new look was conceived by CEO Susannah Shaw and Bristol architects Dittrich Hudson Vasetti, and features a variety of seating, ranging from traditional flip-up seats to laid-back sofas. All the seating has been repurposed. The flip-up seats are original to the Curzon, and the sofas and armchairs have been sourced from Clevedon’s Changing Lives and Bristol’s Sofa Project. In all cases they have been completely re-upholstered, to comply with modern fire regulations, and covered in sumptuous velvets. Other items restored for the balcony include the original 1920 chandeliers and the louvered lighting to light the steps and walkways.

The comfy new seating on the Curzon’s curved balcony

The main benefit, apart from the new angle from which to view the screen, is space. Patrons will have generous seating with a table for their drinks and snacks, and room to stretch out and relax. A bar is planned for the balcony lobby, but for now customers can bring their drinks up to the balcony just as they can for the main auditorium.

Discover it for yourself when the balcony opens just in time for Valentine’s Day on February 10. The occasion will be marked with a screening of the 4K restoration of Roman Holiday, with introductory music from a live jazz trio outside the Oak Room Bar.

“We are so grateful for the town coming together, once again, to help the Curzon realise its potential,” says Curzon CEO Susannah Shaw . “We now have a watertight roof and a beautiful balcony; the cinema is beginning to resemble the original 1922 building conceived and built by Victor Cox. We have a vision of the interior being completely restored and redecorated, but that will have to wait until funds are once again in place.”

Tickets for the Roman Holiday screening are available here. Be warned – they’re selling quickly.

All images: Curzon Community Cinema