Plymouth cinema set to reopen as music venue

Property directors Will Furze (left) and Chris Morgan-Giles (right) with council leader Nick Kelly (centre) outside the former Reel Cinema

A 1930s cinema that recently closed is set to reopen its doors as a new entertainment and live music venue.

The former Reel Cinema, in Plymouth, has been the subject of negotiations with the council, leaseholders and a third party operator.

The council said the Art Deco front of the building would be preserved under the plans.

"While this is in the early stages, it's incredibly exciting," council leader Nick Kelly said.

The council, as the freeholder, said it had signed a conditional agreement with the long leaseholder to rejuvenate the site.

Full details are yet to be unveiled but the project is expected to see an extensive refurbishment that will result in the main auditorium being transformed back to its former glory.

It is likely to include removing an existing wall enabling the auditorium to hold 1,000 people for live entertainment.

Mr Kelly added: "Plymouth has a number of smaller venues and a large venue, the Pavilions, but has not had a venue that can accommodate 1,000 people - that crucial medium-sized venue that is a missing link in Plymouth's entertainment scene."

The cinema was completed in July 1938 and the building suffered bomb damage in 1941, but remained largely intact.