Downton Abbey film shines light on Harwich's Electric Palace

Michael Offord, operations manager at the Electric Palace, said the cinema's restoration would be "seen by millions of people across the world"

A manager of one of England's oldest cinemas said it was hoping to benefit from being featured in the new Downton Abbey film.

Downton Abbey: A New Era is the second film inspired by the hit TV series.

Parts of the film were filmed in and around the Electric Palace in Harwich, Essex, which has recently reopened after a £1.5m restoration.

Operations manager Michael Offord said being part of the film would be a "huge help" for the cinema and the town.

Filming for the sequel to the 2019 film Downton Abbey took place in Harwich in May 2021.

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Mr Offord said there was a "hustle and bustle" as stars including Michelle Dockery, who played Lady Mary Crawley in the period drama, shot scenes there.

He said the road was gravelled and changes were made to street signs and lampposts to transport them back to the 1920s.

"It was a huge help to have that experience and it's something that will pay off in the long-term, because the restoration work will be seen by millions of people across the world on the big screen," he said.

Mr Offord said it was "really good" for the area "coming out of the pandemic" and for a light to be shone on Harwich, which he described as a "wonderful, charming town".

Stars including Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary Crawley, could be seen filming

Mr Offord said there was a "hustle and bustle" while filming took place

Electric Palace, which is screening the new film, was built in 1911.

Restoration work on the Grade II-listed venue included replacing the roof, removing asbestos, repairing the original ornate fibrous plaster ceiling, redecorating the interior, replacing part of the auditorium floor and refurbishing the seating.

Mark Ellis, the supervising locations manager for Downton Abbey, has said the cinema "looks beautiful" from the outside and in, and they "had to" use it.

The Electric Palace was built in 1911

The film is the second Downton Abbey movie

He also said Harwich itself had "a lot to offer".

"It will be an amazing film location, it's such a wonderful place. It's got some great period streets, the council are great to deal with, all the residents are fantastic to deal with as well, and the cinema itself was brilliant," he added.

The show, which ended its run on British television in 2015, was created by Julian Fellowes who wrote the script for both films.

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