The historic cinema in Blackwood is finding it difficult to attract visitors, prompting the local MP to call on community members to show their support.

The Maxime Cinema is a well-regarded independent venue situated at 196 High Street in Blackwood, close to Newport.

The establishment first opened its doors on July 3, 1938. Architect William S. Wort designed the building in an Art Deco style, and it originally accommodated 1,400 patrons. Over the years, the venue evolved from a single-screen theatre to a bingo establishment, before being converted back into a contemporary multi-screen cinema in 2014.

Britain’s cinema sector has experienced a shaky and inconsistent recovery following the coronavirus pandemic, facing intensifying competition from streaming services, elevated levels of corporate bankruptcy, and changing audience preferences, though ticket sales have started to stabilise through a range of moderately budgeted productions.

Cinema visits across the UK have fallen to 123.5 million admissions per year, marking a 2% fall compared to the preceding year and a significant 30% decline from pre-pandemic 2019 figures.

During her visit to the historic venue, Mrs Jones was informed by management about the challenges the cinema business has encountered since the pandemic.

Ruth Jones MP visiting the cinema (Image: Ruth Jones MP)

Mrs Jones stated that the Maxime Cinema has served Blackwood’s town centre for many years and continues to provide some of the most reasonably priced admission in the country. She described having a valuable conversation with Steve Reynolds MBE, who possesses extensive expertise in the cinema sector. The industry has faced considerable difficulties since the pandemic, with Mr Reynolds describing the challenge of drawing comparable audience numbers to previous years. Cinema visits can offer a delightful experience, particularly for children, and with the venue equipped with full air conditioning, it presents an excellent reason to escape the heat.

Director Mr Reynolds received an MBE in recognition of his work supporting independent cinemas throughout Britain and was instrumental in the cinema’s revival.

In 2018, he stated that admission prices meant visiting was likely less expensive than operating domestic heating systems, and financially, audiences might consider an evening out more affordable than staying at home.