For an interesting and eclectic mix of music, theatre, comedy, film and art, look no further than the wonderful Kino-Teatr in St Leonards, run by Olga Mamonova and Russell Baker. With its domed ceiling, original mouldings and stripped-down walls, the auditorium suggests the faded glamour of the golden age of cinema combined with a modern, industrial edge.
Opened in 1913 as the Kinema Palace, it was the first purpose-built cinema in St Leonards and has undergone several changes since then. After surviving two bombing raids in WW2, it was redesigned in the Modern style in 1952 and renamed the Curzon. Narrowly avoiding being turned into a bingo hall and sex cinema, it was closed in 1977 and later became a building merchants, before being rescued and turned into its present day guise as an arts centre, in 2015.
As well as the old cinema, the Kino-Teatr houses the Baker Mamonova gallery space, a bar and a large reception full of interesting objects (the old cinema ticket booth is wonderful). Sadly, the brasserie is soon to close, at the end of July.
As a taster of what is on offer, these are some of the upcoming events:
Henry Normal- An Escape Plan, Friday July 20– stories, jokes and poems that as The Guardian put it: “Dovetails bittersweet poetry with a sublimely observant wit…The poetry itself is stuff of proper substance, marrying the suburban beauty of Beatles ballads with the blunt candour of the kitchen sink.”
In the cinema, the remastered 1987 version of Wim Wenders’ beautiful Wings of Desire has two showings on Saturday July 16 and the documentary, Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War, on the life and art of the printmaker and watercolourist, is on Sunday July 17.
Music that will appeal to different tastes includes a free live music event on Wednesday July 20 by the drum, bass and spoken word group Smith&thePope & More; A Knight of Romantic Ballad: Sir Francesco Paolo Tosti’s life and times in song and story includes romantic ballads and stories of the late Victorian society that Tosti charmed, is on Friday July 22. The lively and passionate music and dance of flamenco can be seen on July 23 in A Night of Flamenco, featuring Jesus Olmedo and friends.
For a full listing of upcoming events see https://www.kino-teatr.co.uk/
Kino-Teatr, 43-49 Norman Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN38 OEG
Tel: 01424 457830
Image Credits: Olga Mamonova , Kino-Teatr .