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Mitchell & Kenyon Screening Success

Audiences, young and old alike enjoyed a step back in time with a special presentation of local films of the area produced by cinema pioneers Mitchell and Kenyon which was held on Wednesday 17 March.  

The event was supported by Heritage Lottery funding as part of the theatre's centenary celebrations commemorating the history of the venue which opened as a cinema in 1910.  

Schools children from Sacred Heart RC Primary, St Pauls RC Primary, Griffin Park School, St Barnabas Primary and St Lukes & St Philips Primary attended free performances in the morning and afternoon.  Monday Club members, mainly older people attended the afternoon showing.

Mitchell & Kenyon Screening


The films featured scenes of Blackburn, Clitheroe and Great Harwood at the beginning of the twentieth century and were accompanied by silent film pianist, Stephen Horne with a live narration by Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Research Director of the National Fairground Archive a Sheffield University.

Here are some of the comments from the audiences, some of whom had never visited the theatre before.

  
"Superb theatre, wonderful atmosphere, superb art deco designs, clean and friendly." Margaret Mallon
 
 "Excellent show, good pianist and good story teller." Linda McEwan
 
 "I found the films very good and interesting, a nice afternoon." Elizabeth Walton
 
 "Excellent show necessary to see how life was in the early 1900s, especially for todays children." Winifred lewis

 

Centenary co-ordinator, Harriet Roberts was delighted with the response and thanked the Heritage Lottery for making it possible, and Peter Worden for his help in organising.

 

Photos are permanently archived on the the theatre photostream

Release Date: Thursday 25 March 2010