The Rex

1938 Art Deco cinema, restored and showing first-run films

The Rex is a 1938 cinema on the High Street, designed by David Evelyn Nye in a bold Art Deco style with curved chrome detailing and a vast Egyptian-influenced auditorium. Restored to original glory in the early 2000s, it now operates as an independent cinema with a single screen, tip-up armchairs, a bar in the stalls, and a programme that mixes new releases with classic revivals.

Going to a film here is more of an event than a transaction. Drinks and small plates can be brought to your seat, the bar stays open through the show, and the audience tends to applaud at the end. Book online — most screenings sell out, particularly the Sunday-afternoon double bills.

things to do sight cinema
A story
The Rex closed in 1988 and stood empty and decaying for sixteen years. It was rescued by local benefactor James Hannaway, who restored it down to the original tip-up Lloyd Loom armchairs and reopened it in 2004. It is now widely regarded as one of the most beautiful independent cinemas in Britain.

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