Welcome to the June edition of Ensemble. I hope you’re all staying safe and keeping well and enjoying this spell of long overdue sunshine.

It’s been an incredibly eventful year for TE so far with some major announcements and launches in recent months. The momentum shows no signs of slowing down either and this month, after years of development, we are beyond excited to finally open The Chiswick Cinema!

We’ve long recognised the importance of the big screen experience and event cinema has played a huge part in developing TE’s place in the global entertainment market, through Trafalgar Releasing and More2Screen who, as you know, distribute specialised content and live streaming events to more than 120 countries worldwide.

The launch of The Chiswick Cinema continues this journey and we are thrilled to be opening the first cinema in Chiswick since the 1930s. The development of the cinema has been a labour of love for TE and it also heralds our first foray into cinema complex ownership; something we very much hope to build on in the future.

Our exclusive Chiswick Cinema membership scheme is a must for all film fans and will reward regular visitors with a range of special offers, discounts and privileges.

We have a special launch night planned for 24 June complete with red carpet, drinks reception, VIPs and speeches from Chairman of our Advisory Board and the London Film School, Greg Dyke, and legendary British film producer, David Puttnam. The cinema will then officially open to the public on 25 June. We’ll have a report from the launch night in next month’s Ensemble.

Meanwhile, we have a lot of theatre and cinema news announcements this month which is hugely positive and wonderful to see. However, we approach with slight caution as all eyes will be on the Prime Minister next Monday (14 June) as he announces the plans for Stage 4 of the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown and that all important 21 June date. Early indications show that we may encounter a two week delay but we should have a clearer picture of how and when we move forward by next week. As we approach 21 June, the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre will also increase their press and advocacy work, to help make the case that opening with full audiences is vital for our industry’s survival.

Until next time, take care and look after yourselves.
Best wishes
Rosemary