Popular picture house is back in business (From The Oxford Times)

Popular picture house is back in business

5:00pm Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Witney

A POPULAR Witney cinema that was forced to shut after the closure of the Corn Exchange will reopen this month.

Screen at the Square was suddenly homeless in November when Witney Town Council closed the Market Square community hall.

But now the cinema – rebranded Witney Community Cinema – will reopen at High Street Methodist Church on February 24 with the film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Owner John Richards, pictured with Front of House manager Heather Suri, said: “I was gutted about the closure and disappointed that we had been given such short notice.”

Screen at the Square, which had been going 16 years, used to run two or three times a week and would attract up to 150 people to each film.

The Methodist Church will also have a capacity of 150, but will not be able to screen newly-released 35mm films, as the Corn Exchange could.

It will instead screen Blu-Rays and DVDs on a data projector and will focus on classic movies.

Mr Richards said: “The cinema is for the people of Witney and will show films that the other cinemas are not.”

The new cinema will open with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy at 7.30pm on February 24 and will follow with The Help at 7.30pm on March 16. Tickets will cost £4.

For more information, contact Mr Richards on 01865 880645 or visit screenwitney.co.uk