2026 has been a bumper year for The Capitol. In June, it celebrated its 90th birthday – with a history that harks back to a Ritz cinema, opened in 1936. The building is now entering its sixth phase of life – having been salvaged from a demolition hitlist not once, but twice, renamed four times, and now reaching the end of its third major renovation. It’s a lot of lifetimes, but so must be the case, with an almost century of time passed. 

Despite the inevitable focus of such a project – new paint, seating, bathrooms etcetera, etcetera, The Capitol is less the sum of its bricks and mortar (and, of course, glass), and more a living, breathing, community entity. 

This certainly proved the case, said Lauren Fielding, Marketing Officer, when the building was shuttered earlier this way to make way for the construction. The team set up an interim box office in the town centre, and quickly discovered that locals would drop by – not necessarily to buy tickets, or ask questions pertaining to the renovations, but just ‘for a chat’. ‘‘ We realised that for many locals, The Capitol is part of their routine. It’s generational. They come from a child to being a parent, then being a grandparent, and the pantomime is a great example of that. Three or four generations of one family all there to watch the show- and they’ve been doing it for as long as they can remember.’’ 

This level of attachment, necessitated a different kind of approach than is often taken, said Lauren. ‘‘You want to protect that magic for them and not turn the building into something they don’t recognise. So, we’ve kept the customers at the heart of everything we’ve been doing.’’ 

What, in practice, does this then boil down to? A lot of repairs (the roof was at the top of the list), freshly tiled toilets (‘I’ve taken note of the swatches for my bathroom’), and most significantly, in Lauren’s eyes – cupholders. ‘‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cup holder appear so much in any kind of survey before. It’s a very practical piece of going to the cinema – you don’t want to have to put your drink on the ground.’’ 

There’re also some key accessibility improvements, so that wheelchair users can travel more fluidly, and have better flexibility in where they can sit. A changing places facility has been added, which will be the sole nighttime provision for adults with complex needs.  

The cinema screens have also had an upgrade. Dan Pook-Barnes, Technical Supervisor, who has worked at The Capitol for nearly 20 years, led the charge in replacing and upgrading the ‘normally forgotten cinema screen surfaces’ to a newer, crisper material, as well as introducing subtitle glasses. ‘‘It’s exciting to see…this will improve customer experiences for years to come’’, Dan said. 

The team drew their inspiration from London Theatre Palettes, said Lauren – rich greens, plush velvet seats – acting as a visual echo of the pre-existing art deco stylings that the building is renowned for. Design meetings started up to a year prior to the renovations taking place – as the team explored colour theory, texture, and both the limitations and potential of the space. 

‘‘The building, for me, looks her best when she’s full of people having a brilliant time, and I just can’t wait to see it packed with people.’’   

Lauren repeatedly refers to the building as ‘she’ or ‘her’, which she says is perhaps due to a personal connection, having performed there where she was younger, but likely also indicative of the sense of custodianship felt by those in charge of the changes. ‘‘It’s just really nice that we’ve been able to take the time and the money to invest in her, and protect her for future generations.’’ 

With the final touches now being put in place, The Capitol is entering into a new era of entertainment provision. 90 years of history sits in its walls – all to be enjoyed in a seat that doesn’t squeak, without having to hold onto your drink.  

Image credits: Brinkhoff-Möegenburg