Rise and rise of the Phoenix Cinema

Sometimes, you want to repeat history. That’s the case with the Phoenix cinema in East Finchley, which will celebrate its centenary by restoring the building to its former glory. The cinema’s reputation as the oldest purpose-built cinema in the UK may not show in its wealth of cultural and communal benefits, but does in its façade.

“You know, it’s a really nice place but it’s looking a bit tatty,” says Paul Homer, chief executive of the Phoenix and spearhead on the restoration plans. “We’ll bring it back to the beautiful structure we had during the 1930s.”

Construction will begin in mid-March, closing the cinema for 11 weeks on weekdays and then entirely until August. It will reemerge with new facilities, better lighting, better sound and a complete restoration of its original character. A refurbished art-deco auditorium and paint to match the theatre’s original colour scheme will bring the building back in keeping with its first design. Other additions will include an interactive timeline and a new café space that overlooks the High Street.

Over £1,000,000 has already been raised for the restoration, with about £70,000 still needed to reach the predetermined goal. The staff has collected funding through the donations of community members, programming with local businesses and by holding guest appearances to promote awareness about the plans. Paul believes about £60,000 has been collected from the generosity of individuals who want to ensure the theatre will remain a vital part of the community. “We’ve got a really good membership, and we’ve just been overwhelmed by their response,” he says.

Such a great response can surely be attributed to the theatre’s dedication as a charity. The goal to serve the local community with educational programming will never waver as the non-profit’s main priority, no matter if the restoration leaves them in the hole or not. “It’s a business model, and like a business you need to make money,” Paul explains. “But as opposed to that money going into director’s pockets it goes back into the community.”

He and his team have also taken a more active approach to fundraising than relying on donations. They’ve used any and every contact they have, reaching far beyond north London and with everything from gallery nights to celebrity appearances to ping pong tournaments. A huge sum was also allotted by the Heritage Lottery Fund in recognition of the Phoenix’s vitality to the local community.

Paul says the restoration will improve the cinema’s appeal as both a national landmark and a marketing tool. “People will walk past it or drive by and think, ‘Oh that place looks really great, that’s really interesting, I wonder what’s going on’,” he enthuses. “So I think even from a financial point of view it’s a very beneficial tactic.”

After the restoration is complete, the hope is that the cinema will become as much a historic destination as it currently is for entertainment. This will kick off with a weekly screening of a feature film from each decade of the cinema’s existence. A children’s program and food from the period is also on the agenda, which Paul says is destined to take place on Sunday afternoons starting in September. The interactive timeline, with a touch screen to display major films and clips over the course of the theatre’s history. “It’s still very much a working, active cinema, but we’ll give people information to understand it’s not just a cinema but more of something special,” Paul says.

No matter what its function for local residents, the overriding fact is that the Phoenix’s historic title will always complement its extraordinary programming and good intentions. “We get a lot of people who say that one of the reasons they live locally is because they have a really great independent cinema here,” Paul says. “It’s been shown that people who have historic buildings in their community have a greater sense of place. It kind of helps ground them and understand the local history, and help to understand the area they live in better and appreciate the area.”

Phoenix Cinema, 52 High Road, N2 9PJ; 020 8444 6789. www.phoenixcinema.co.uk

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