On Wednesday morning invited guests including Town Councillors, District Councillors, local stakeholders, members of the media, staff from Mixbrow, Northmores, Mid Suffolk District Council and Stowmarket Town Council joined together to watch renowned film critic, writer and broadcaster James King cut the ribbon (or in this case film reel!) outside the redeveloped Regal theatre.
The opening ceremony included speeches from Stowmarket Mayor Keith Scarff, MSDC Councillor Gerard Brewster and James King. Mayor Scarff thanked everyone involved for their dedication to the project and for delivering “a first class, multi-purpose venue in Stowmarket, which can be used by the local community for theatre, cinema, live streaming, business conferences, local events and social gatherings”. He went on to say that “the promise made to the local community has been kept – to provide a modern entertainment centre that preserves a great deal of the art deco character and heritage of the original 1936 building whilst meeting the expectations of modern day audiences in terms of comfort, accessibility, seating, audio and visual experiences and catering”.
BBC critic James King praised the “awesome” venue and highlighted the importance of independent cinemas like the Regal to local communities and the film industry at large. He reflected that it has been a tough year for cinemas and live performance and was encouraging to see the new improved Regal bounce back stronger as a versatile local venue.
Councillor Brewster, representing Mid Suffolk District Council said “the regeneration of the Regal Theatre has been a flagship project and it is wonderful to see how it has been transformed. With the increased number of auditoria, new theatre facilities and a stylish café and bar, it will provide a benefit to the community and town for many years to come.”
Invitees were treated to guided tours of the venue along with refreshments from the 1936 café bar and music from local artist Serena Grant. Guests were shown the new box office, all three screens, the backstage areas and the café bar featuring the original 1936 box office which has been sympathetically resorted by the Town Council Operations team along with help from Stowmarket High School pupils.
The state-of-the-art multipurpose venue will open to the public on Friday 28th May, you can buy tickets and find out more about the Regal at www.regalstowmarket.co.uk.
