Cinema saved from bulldozers restored 'lovingly'

The Ritz has maintained its 1930s style

A former 1930s picture house that was rescued from the bulldozers is due to reopen after a two-year labour of love to transform it into an arts venue.

The Ritz cinema in Queen Street, Penzance, opened in 1936 but became a bingo hall in the 1960s before planning permission was granted to knock it down and replace it with nine three-bedroom homes.

The Art Deco-style building was "in a rundown and drab state" when Merlin Cinemas bought it in 2013, the company's MD Geoff Greaves said.

He added: "We've restored it lovingly in a way that has brought back that 1930s era."

The bar manager Sam Topley gets ready for the opening

Geoff Greaves is planning a range of events to put the Ritz back on the map

"It was a real, real mess" he recalled of the time when the company took over the redundant building, which had also served as a night club.

It will reopen on 20 September with a dance night, after a preview night for supporters to get a first look at the transformation.

Mr Greaves said the work had stayed true to the Art Deco era.

It was designed by architect AH Jones and featured an elegant decorative fin sign with seating for 1,000 people. An organ with an illuminated console rose from the orchestra pit, the company said.

Mr Greaves said the work had taken "a lot of time, but hopefully the end result is beautiful".

The venue will host a range of events, including film screenings with a themed meal, dance nights with DJs, cabaret, drama and music nights, and keep fit.

Cornwall Council and the Growth Hub fund helped with restoration costs.

"They never make them like this again. If it had gone it would have been lost forever," Mr Greaves said.