Award-winning director visits century-old cinema

An award-winning film director has visited one of the UK's oldest cinemas as part of the venue's ongoing fundraising efforts.

Sir Stephen Frears attended a screening of his film Dangerous Liaisons at the Electric Palace cinema in Harwich on Thursday, followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

He said the independent Essex venue, which opened in 1911, was "absolutely stunning" and urged local film lovers to support it.

The cinema is trying to raise £50,000 for a new projector, and a further £25,000 for other improvements to the Grade II* listed building.

"I can see that staying at home and seeing films on the telly is less effort, but I only see films in cinemas," said Sir Stephen, whose CV includes the films The Queen and Philomena.

"I love going to the cinema and I'm completely committed to it.

"Particularly nowadays with everything being so corporate… [the Electric Palace] is really important. This is so modest and heroic."

Cinema chairman Deb Perkins said she was delighted to welcome Sir Stephen to the venue.

She said its single screen would be replaced in March thanks to sponsorship from the Harwich Haven Authority.

Ms Perkins hopes further fundraising will future-proof the cinema so it can be enjoyed by the next generation of film lovers.

Travelling showman Charles Thurston first opened the Electric Palace in 1911.

Some 45 years later, Mr Thurston, who also owned three cinemas in nearby Dovercourt which have since closed, decided to shut up shop in Harwich.

The building had been owned by the town council, which according to former chairman David Looser, wanted to demolish the building in the 1970s to make way for a car park.

But, keen to save the historical cinema, retired architect Andrew Carden and GP Chris Strachan leased the building for three years and eventually bought the freehold after restoring it to its former glory.

The Electric Palace reopened under the pair's leadership in 1981.

In 2018, the cinema closed temporarily for repairs to its ceiling at a cost of £1.7m.

Today, having survived two world wars and a global pandemic, it is owned by the Harwich Electric Palace Trust and is run mostly by volunteers.

Mr Looser, now the cinema's technical manager, first got involved in the venue in 1975.

"I was single at the time, had time on my hands, and it looked like a fun thing to get involved in," he said.

"I love the place and it's such a big part of my life."

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