Phoenix News

July 2010

Recruiting for Duty Manager (Maternity cover)

We are looking for a qualified applicant to manage Front of House. Please view our job description. Deadline for applications is Monday 2 August at 5pm.

Catering Manager needed

We are currently recruiting a Catering Manager to run our new cafe and bar space when we reopen. Please view our job description. Deadline for applications is Monday 2 August at 5pm.

(Previous applicants need not apply.)

June 2010

Film posters available

Posters are available for a donation of £5. If interested, send an email to posters@phoenixcinema.co.uk.

Closed for renovations

We are now closed for renovation work until early September 2010. We hope you will join us on our reopening to experience the new cafe bar and a fully restored and revitalised Phoenix Cinema. Many thanks for everyone's support in making our restoration come to life.

For information about the state of the restoration project, please visit our blog.

May 2010

Phoenix Closing Weekend 4-6 June programme confirmed

We've put together a very special programme of films to celebrate the last weekend before we close to complete the Centenary Restoration Project. The films span a variety of genres and time periods from this year's customer favourite, A Single Man to David Lean's classic Brief Encounter. There will be a special FREE event prior to the very last screening on Sunday which will feature short presentations about the work so far and our plans for reopening. There will also be the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. This event will be followed by a screening of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Top Hat. Tickets are free to those that attend the event or can be purchased separately. To see the full list of films, please see our forthcoming films section or view the pdf programme here.

Met Opera 2010-2011 Season confirmed

For details of performances, see our opera page. Tickets will go on sale to Friends only on Sunday 16 May and to the general public on Sunday 23 May.

Phoenix Storybook launched

We are very proud to present the first interviews from our ongoing oral history project, the Phoenix Storybook. Our first interview was with Kitty Cooper, who owned and ran the Phoenix with her husband from 1975-1985. You can view clips from her interviews here. More will be added soon so stay tuned!
If you have a memory to share about The Phoenix, get in touch with us by emailing heritage@phoenixcinema.co.uk or upload your own video on to our YouTube page.

Patron Ken Loach opens free channel on YouTube

Sixteen Films, the production company formed by Ken Loach and Rebecca O'Brien, are releasing all of the award-winning director's films to view for free on YouTube. Many films are up already including his classic Kes, with a new film added each week until the entire collection is available. Watch them all here.

April 2010

Centenary Restoration Project - closure dates

We are very excited that work has begun on our Centenary Restoration Project. The cinema will be closed weekday afternoons until Friday 4th June. During this time we'll open as usual for our evening shows during the week and all weekend performances. From Monday 7th June until Thursday 2nd September The Phoenix will be closed completely. All Friends memberships will be extended to reflect this period of closure. If you'd like to keep up to date on what's happening leading up to and during the closure you can follow our blog here.

Cinema Museum Appeal

Click here to see the Guardian piece about Ronald Grant's love of film that led to his creation of the Cinema Museum. The museum is partnering with us for our forthcoming centenary celebrations and are about to begin their own campain to buy their current site in Lambeth and make a permanent home for the collection. Find out more on their website.

New Film Course starts soon

Though we are unable to have the accompanying screenings at The Phoenix due to building works, there is another film course starting soon at Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute across the road. The course take place over five weeks with a weekly screening and seminar at The Institute. The next course is Global Film Part 2: Representations of Life and Love from Childhood to the Third Age. Screenings are at 11am Thursdays with the study session to follow at 1.30pm. Course starts 22 April.

Scheduled films:

Zazie dans le metro (1960)

Les 400 Coups (1959)

My Life as a Dog (1985)

Le Souffle au Coeur (1971)

Aparajito (1957)

(Half term)

Umberto D (1952)

Tokyo Story (1953)

Fear Eats the Soul (1974)

Away From Her (2006)

Mid-August Lunch (2008)

To enrol call The Institute on 020 8829 4141 quoting course number 378.

March 2010

Last Met Opera now on sale - Armida Sat 1 May at 6pm

Due to our building works being pushed back we are now able to screen Armida on 1st May at 6pm. Tickets now on sale. Read more about the production here or book online.

January 2010

We're Kermode's favourite!

Mark Kermode cited us as his favourite cinema in The Observer 17.01.10. See the original article here.

October 2009

Now on sale - In the Night Garden

The Phoenix is pleased to announce a new strand of screenings aimed at young children who may not yet be old enough for our Kids Club. 30 minute episodes of the popular BBC series In The Night Garden will be screened every Monday and Friday at 11am from 2nd November to 11th December. It's a great opportunity to introduce a young child to the cinema experience where they will be comforted by the familiar faces of Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy. Read more about the screenings here.

Discount at local restaurant Cochin for Phoenix customers

For the month of October, Cochin restaurant is offering a 10% discount on all eat-in and takeaway to our customers. Present your Phoenix ticket stub to claim your discount. Offer valid only on the same day as the visit to The Phoenix. For more info on Cochin visit their website.

Ping-pong for The Phoenix

The Phoenix Cinema has found a unique way to raise money for its restoration – playing ping-pong! The Phoenix is teaming up with The Young Offenders Institute, who run regular ping-pong events across London, on Wednesday 14th October at 93 Feet East in Brick Lane, Shoreditch from 7pm.

Everyone is invited to play ‘round the table’ and the winner of each game gets a free drink. Games cost £1 per person with 12 people playing each game. On top of the money from the games The Phoenix will also benefit from a bonus of 10% of the bar take, thanks to the generosity of 93 Feet East. So come down, have a drink, play ping-pong and help restore The Phoenix. For more info see the YOI website.

September 2009

Priority Booking for Times BFI London Film Festival

One of the benefits of being a Friend of the Phoenix is getting priority booking for LFF screenings. On Friday the 25th members can book online at http://www.bfi.org.uk/go/lffbooking/. Be sure to tell us if you see a great film you think we should play!

August 2009

All's Well That Ends Well, live from the National Theatre

The Phoenix is screening the NT's production of Shakespeare's bittersweet comedy. You can read more details about it here.

Booking is open now, via box office, telephone, or our online booking system here

Special preview screening of Sin Nombre with Q&A

On Wednesday 12th August, we are thrilled to be presenting a preview screening of Sin Nombre followed by a Q&A with director Cary Fukunaga. Winner of the award for Best Direction at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival as well as the Skillset New Director’s Award at the Edinburgh Film Festival, Fukunaga is being hailed as one of the most exciting new American directors. Please join us for this advance screening and stay to hear more about the film from the talented first-time director. Read more about Sin Nombre here, and book online here.

July 2009

Limited edition prints for sale to benefit the Centenary Restoration Project

Local artist Laura Alvarado has generously donated three prints to commemorate the Phoenix's impending centenary. There are 150 prints available of each design, all signed and numbered by the artist. They are priced at £30 unframed and £50 framed and are available to buy from the box office.

Please click the images below to see the designs in greater detail.

The Phoenix Publicity Drive - July 9th 2009

We have had a lot of interest from the media following our successful Heritage Lottery Funding application. The BBC News team were here filming a segment with patron Bill Paterson and head of HLF London Sue Bowers that went out live at 1.30pm. We're also going to be featured in a story on todays evening BBC news, at around 6.30pm, and by ITN on their 6pm news.

Chief Executive Paul Homer was interviewed live on LBC Radio today at around 2.30pm, and we expect interviews with patron Bill Paterson and board member Jerry Turvey to be broadcast today.

Last, but not least, we were featured on BBC News's website. Click here to read the story.

New box office system in place

We are very pleased to announce that our new computerised box office system is in place. This new system includes an automated pickup point that means if you book online or over the telephone you can pick your tickets up without queueing at the box office. You will also now be able to book a ticket online for an allocated seating performance (including the Met opera) and choose your seat on-screen. You can also become a Friend online.

Please be patient with the staff as we all get accustomed to this new technology.

June 2009

Heritage Lottery funding approved!

Our application for 60% of the funding for our Centenary Restoration Project has been approved! We are now at 80% of our fundraising target but we still need your support. Read more here.

Blue Peter at The Phoenix Tuesday 2nd June at 4.35pm

The Phoenix and kids from the Kids Club will be featured on Tuesday's episode of Blue Peter (Tuesday 2nd June). A panel of lucky Kids Clubbers got to judge a short film made by the presenters. The episode launches a new filmmaking competition for children entitled ‘Me and My Movie’. Our Education Officer, Ellie, was very excited to meet Andy, Helen and Joel from the show and many of the Phoenix Staff received Blue Peter badges for their troubles. Keep an eye out for Will the projectionist who has a cameo appearance! If you miss it then you can catch-up on BBC i-player from Tuesday evening.

May 2009

Live from the Royal Opera House: La traviata Tuesday 30th June 6.40pm (curtain up 7pm)

Featuring American soprano Renee Fleming as Violetta, Joseph Calleja as Alfredo and Thomas Hampson as Giorgio in Richard Eyre's classic production of Verdi's opera.

Go to the Royal Opera House page for more information.

Tickets £20, £19 concessions, £17.50 Friends of the Phoenix. To book call the box office on 020 8444 6789.

April 2009

Live theatre broadcast of Phèdre direct from the National Theatre on Thursday 25th June 6.30pm

NT Live is an exciting new initiative to broadcast live performances of National Theatre plays onto cinema screens worldwide. The pilot season will launch with Phèdre with Helen Mirren, Margaret Tyzack and Dominic Cooper on 25 June 2009.

Consumed by an uncontrollable passion for her young stepson and believing Theseus, her absent husband, to be dead, Phèdre confesses her darkest desires and enters the world of nightmare. When Theseus returns alive and well, Phèdre, fearing exposure, accuses her stepson of rape. The result is carnage. This savage play by Jean Racine is translated into verse by the late Poet Laureate, Ted Hughes.

The performance will be filmed in high definition and broadcast via satellite.

Tickets are £10 or £9 for Phoenix friends or National Theatre members. To book call the box office on 020 8444 6789.

New pricing in effect from Friday 3rd April

The Phoenix is increasing its ticket prices for the first time in over two years. You'll find that we're still less expensive than London's other independent cinemas at £9 and £6 for concessions. At the same time, in recognition of our loyal Friends of the Phoenix, we've decided to freeze members' prices by doubling the Friend's discount to £2 per ticket. If you're already a Friend, your ticket prices will remain the same and you don't need to do anything. If you're not a Friend yet, there's never been a better time to join. You'll receive £2 off each ticket plus two free tickets and many other valuable discounts. The cost of the membership remains the same, so at £25 per year (or £40 for a double membership) it's a great value and a great way to support this unique and historic cinema.

February 2009

Bus route 263 extended to Holloway, Nag's Head

From Saturday 7th February, bus route 263 will be extended from Archway station to Holloway, Nag's Head via Holloway Road providing a useful new link to The Phoenix for those who live in Upper Holloway. Follow this link for more information.

December 2008

Support The Phoenix on eBay

We've set up an account with eBay that lets you donate money to The Phoenix's restoration project. You can donate a percentage or a set amount of the item you sell, and let people know that you support your community cinema. Just search for us under the Charity option when you create an item to sell. eBay will even lower your seller fees to reflect the charitable status of your auction.

For more information, go to eBay's charity page.

November 2008

New VAT Rate

The Phoenix Cinema Trust reviews ticket prices annually and we will take into account the new rate of VAT at that review in March 2009. We are currently maintaining our ticket prices at the level they were at prior to the change in rate. However, our ticket prices have not changed since March 2007 and we committed to keeping The Phoenix affordable.

Listen to Terence Davies Q&A

If you missed our Q&A session with the veteran British director Terence Davies about his newest film Of Time And The City, don't despair. We recorded the insightful interview and audience Q&A hosted by journalist Ian Haydn-Smith and have made it available for streaming from our past events page.

We have also added audio recordings from several past events, including Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Nicholas Roeg.

September 2008 Two surprise visitors for Open House

The Phoenix weclomed visitors behind the scenes recently as part of the Open House 2008 weekend. Amongst those to come along were two people with a specific interest in our historic cinema...
Read full story

September 2008 The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival, screenings now Sold Out

The Phoenix is presenting two films as part of this year's festival. On Monday 27th October we present Waltz With Bashir at 6.30pm and Broken Lines at 8.45pm. These screenings have now sold out.