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The Deco Theatre is planning on returning to its roots by showing films again as the owners look to stay afloat while live performances remain banned.

The Abington Square venue is aiming to reopen as a cinema on the August bank holiday with a range of classic movies including Grease, Jaws and Star Wars.

While theatres are still unable to reopen after the coronavirus lockdown, cinemas are permitted so manager Jill Roach thought it was a no-brainer as The Deco used to be one.

The Old Savoy lit up red for the Light It Up Red campaign. Photo: Leila Coker

"I want to get the building alive again - it's disappointing as we got the front back and now we can't do anything," she said.

"Especially this weekend when you see things open with all these visitors, why can't we have a socially-distanced audience?"

The Savoy, as it was originally called, opened 84 years ago as a 'super-cinema' before becoming the ABC Cinema in 1961.

It was then taken over by Cannon in the 1980s, which ran it as a multiplex cinema until 1996 when it was abandoned.

The Savoy cinema opened as a 'super-cinema' in 1936. Photo courtesy of The Old Savoy

The cinema became the Jesus Centre in 2004 until last year when Stage Right Productions, which runs The Deco, bought it, reopened the original frontage and renamed it The Old Savoy.

Jill said: "When we had the relaunch last year, a lot of people were asking for the cinema to return.

"So maybe it's meant to be to go back to our roots to show films again, supported with some live performances once we're allowed to."

Currently, The Deco sits empty with theatres having to wait until they can reopen but cinemas were given the green light to show films again from Saturday (July 4).

Plans are in place for a Tina Turner tribute act in September as the first live performance with social distancing with hopes for favourites like the pantomime to return.

But Jill and her team believe showing movies themselves, like the old days, would be a way to get back to work, make some income and get some customer confidence in venues back.

They have some memorabilia from the cinema days which can be decorated around the auditorium and reception as well as old-fashioned costumes for the staff.

"It's good what we're doing, we've got ideas to batten down the hatches with films until live shows are permitted again," she said.

'I want to get the building alive again': Plan to reopen The Deco Theatre in Northampton as a cinema