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London’s best-value cinema.
The Prince Charles is a cinema with a sense of humour! (image credit below)
The Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Square is a London institution. It may on first glance look slightly grubby and doesn’t immediately catch the eye. But you’ll soon find that its slightly unkempt air is part of its charm.
The cinema is also slightly hidden off the main Square and frequently missed by tourists. But what many don’t realise is that the Prince Charles is the West End’s last-remaining independent cinema.
While the hordes queue for expensive tickets to see the latest blockbusters round the corner in the flagship “big chain“ cinemas; or crowd to see the big Hollywood stars make their entrance on the red carpet for one of the frequent premieres; Londoners in the know nip quietly into the Prince Charles for a cheaper and often slightly “retro” cinema experience.
Just look at the cinema’s canopy (often changed to a humorous message) and you’ll see that this is definitely not some faceless corporate enterprise!
The Prince Charles is not only significantly cheaper than most of its rivals, but also specialises in showing older films as well as the latest blockbusters (“upstairs” traditionally shows recent releases whereas downstairs has “classics” which may be only a few months or several years old).
I recently went to the Prince Charles on a normal weekday and my companion and I were delighted to get the benefit of a spontaneous “2 for 1” promotion. There were no special notices about it and it was almost as though the staff had decided to do it just because they felt like it!
When a lady tried to buy a ticket on her own (which would have cost the same as two) they even paired her up with another who had a spare! It’s refreshing to see a cinema which delights in being cheap and cheerful.
The Prince Charles Cinema is a throwback to a bygone era - in terms of its creative film programme, old-fashioned customer service, cheap prices and classic decor
Not only are tickets at the Prince Charles generally cheaper than average, the cinema also operates a membership scheme (worth signing up to) which unlocks further savings. For example, lifetime membership is £50 which they gleefully say on their website is “valid until the day you die!” It won’t take many discounted films before you get your investment back.
The Prince Charles gets no external funds and is an oasis among big-chain London cinemas with its consistent low prices and innovative film list.
It will often show “cult” films and have themed weekends as well as special singalong nights for the Sound of Music and other movie night classics.
Its programme is always worth a look – you can grab a flyer from one of the helpful outside pockets as you walk past – because it’s full of little gems you may have missed a month, 6 months or even a couple of years ago.
Do your best to support it!
What about London hotels near the Prince Charles? Our recent guide to wine bars near Leicester Square will point you in the right direction. But don’t forget that the W London has delayed its opening to February 2011!
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Photo credits: Prince Charles Cinema, James Nash (aka Cirrus)’s photostream.
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