Save The Prince Charles Cinema

The future of the iconic Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End is under serious threat!

We are beyond disappointed that our landlords, Zedwell LSQ Ltd and their ultimate parent company Criterion Capital, have demanded the inclusion of a break clause in our new lease. This could leave us homeless with only 6 months’ notice should they receive planning permission to redevelop the cinema.

Losing The Prince Charles Cinema would mean losing not just an iconic cultural institution, but also an engine for the economy of the West End that brings people from all over London and the surrounding area to watch films, shop and eat and drink.  This would have repercussions way beyond the building itself.

The Prince Charles Cinema was opened in 1962 as a live theatre before becoming a cinema in the mid-sixties.  Under our stewardship the cinema, which receives no public subsidy,  has become known for its unique range of programming spanning the history of cinema. At a time when cinemas continue to close throughout the world, we are happy to buck the trend with our thriving and fiercely independent offer.

We feel that this demand amounts to a clear attempt by Zedwell LSQ Ltd and their ultimate parent company Criterion Capital to use their significant financial resources to disregard our legal entitlement to a new lease, and bully us out of the building once the existing one ends in Sept 2025.