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Another feature of The Electric is a
fully stocked bar at the rear of the
cinema and within the confines of the
auditorium. The bar closes as the film
begins.

A unique screen arrangement.
If the seating configuration is
unusual the screen arrangement is
unlike anything seen before. The
proscenium arch had always posed a
problem with aspect ratios greater than
the Academy ratio of 4:3. The lighting
truss system for the cinema was
designed by Unusual Rigging, a
company which is world renowned for
solving problems with rigging
structures. Their solution has to be seen
to be believed, and is best explained by
describing the film performance itself.
The lights are dimmed and the screen
tabs are slowly opened to reveal the
Academy sized screen within the
proscenium arch. Images are projected
onto the screen welcoming patrons to
The Electric, including a short slide
show depicting vintage shots of
England’s oldest operating cinema.
Slowly the screen structure moves
forward of the proscenium arch and
Clockwise from top: The unique horizontal scissor-action and expanding screen.
proceeds to expand sideways, as the ads
Auditorium wall and ceiling detail and the sound speakers.
and trailers begin to roll, to take on the
The public bar near the rear exits.
size of the CinemaScope or widescreen
picture. The house lights dim to zero as
speaker has ever been installed in a Heritage
the feature film begins. The process is
commercial cinema. The new speakers The globe map from the original
reversed when the film ends.
deliver a ‘softer and cleaner sound’ and 1910 cinema is still intact above the
This ingenious idea utilizes
provide greater clarity in quieter films proscenium (below).
aluminium tubing over which the
in which conversations predominate. As
screen fabric is stretched, with the
a lot of media people frequent The
vertical rollers driven by tooth belt
Electric, according to Jason Moore, it
drive and the horizontal movement
was important that the sound system in
controlled by a scissor guide.
the cinema was of the highest quality.
Sounds great. The cinema is fitted with an infrared
The cinema surround speakers system, using headsets, for patrons with
consist of the Martin Audio Surround a hearing impairment, should they wish
System with “state of the art and to use this. Subtitling is available for
ground breaking” ArtCoustic DF75-55 the hearing-impaired using the Dolby
slimline speakers fixed on to the Screen Talk system.
moving screen frame at left, centre and Mandy Kean says that in one sense this
right behind. According to Jason “symbolises The Electric Cinema’s
Moore, Chief at The Electric Cinema, commitment to showing the very best
this is the first time the ArtCoustic of world cinema including its rich

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