WATCH: Abbeygate Cinema in Bury St Edmunds opens new premier screen today

A Bury St Edmunds independent cinema has unveiled its brand new premier auditorium to the public today - and you can see inside below.

Staff at the Abbeygate Cinema, in Hatter Street, worked through lockdown up until Wednesday to get the new 180-seater screen ready.

The first screening of the day was at 12.30pm - Proxima with Eva Green.

The cost of the new screen was a ‘considerable six-figure sum’ according to Chris Peters, project manager.

“We’re super thrilled to open the auditorium. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve done it against all the odds,” he said on Wednesday.

“I was here until about 11 o’clock last night with the technical team setting up the projection side of it. You should’ve seen us four days ago!”

He added: “It’s been a real last minute effort from everybody to get it looking like this.”

The space comes fully kitted with brand new luxury seating, screen curtains, and by Christmas they plan to have drop-down chandeliers in place.

They also discovered some of the old auditorium from the 1920’s whilst renovating and have decided to leave it there in memorium to what it used to be - a musical theatre.

For the full story see today's print edition of the Bury Free Press.