Million pound project announced for Horsham’s Capitol theatre

The screen offering for cinema-goers in the town could be about to triple with the imminent arrival of chain Everyman and a seven-figure-sum project in the pipeline at the Capitol.

Horsham District Council has announced it is looking to create more glitz at the popular entertainment centre in North Street and is beginning to draw up proposals to improve the building which could mean the creation of a new screen.

The move has been prompted by the success of the centre over the past few years and the anticipated arrival of boutique style cinema Everyman in Piries Place.

Speaking to the County Times Jonathan Chowen, cabinet member for Leisure and Culture, said: “Getting a brand new cinema in the town alongside the Year of Culture is very exciting.

“I would like to have the Capitol buzzing all of the time. It’s not revolutionary what we are proposing, it’s evolutionary.”

Mr Chowen said the council was exploring the possibility of creating a third cinema screen at the Capitol.

If agreed the screen would allow more blockbusters to be shown at the centre as well as more independent and foreign productions.

Nick Mowat, manager at the Capitol, explained due to an agreement made with distributors when new films are released they must run for a certain time before another film can be shown.

He said the new screen would not only enable them to show more popular releases for longer but would also mean they could get new blockbusters when they were initially released.

He said: “Everyman coming I think is a fantastic thing for the town. I think the fact that it’s opening in the Year of Culture is absolutely fantastic.