Regent Hokitika
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/Address: 23 Weld Street, Hokitika 7810
Contact Person: [email protected] Phone: 03 755 8101 Mobile: Website:https://www/hokitikaregent.com/ Facebook: Hokitika's Regent Theatre & Cafe |
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Details
Capacity: 382 (large auditorium) + 17 (small annexe)
Screen: two
Sound: S.2 surround sound
Seating: restored original in the main auditorium. couches, armchairs and beanbags in the smaller Reynolds venue
Snackbar: Adjacent cafe, which is renowned for its home-baked pies
Accessibility: a few steps. Nearby parking.
Capacity: 382 (large auditorium) + 17 (small annexe)
Screen: two
Sound: S.2 surround sound
Seating: restored original in the main auditorium. couches, armchairs and beanbags in the smaller Reynolds venue
Snackbar: Adjacent cafe, which is renowned for its home-baked pies
Accessibility: a few steps. Nearby parking.
Geoff's Review
Sited in the main street of this West Coast town, the Regent Theatre has been a prominent feature in Hokitika for more than 80 years. The theatre was built in 1935 and opened in 1936 (difficult years in New Zealand's history) and after a period of glory, it went into decline until it was purchased as a community resource by the Westland Community Centre Inc. The town now regards it as their town hall; providing a venue for film screenings, live concerts, dance recitals, important commemorations and town meetings. When I visited in December 2019, the main auditorium was being used of end-of-school-year prize-giving and performances (as was the Regent Theatre in nearby Greymouth). There are over 25,000 visits to the Regent Hokitika each year, which represents an average of 7 visits per resident (https://www.hokitikaregent.com/about-us-contact)
The main auditorium is rather grand and was refurbished some years ago, with tremendous local support. The theatre is run by a mix of paid staff and volunteers, and the film screenings provide a mix of mainstream and art house films--which can be screened in the main theatre and the smaller venue.
Hokitika has a particular place in respect of this website, for it was my encounter with the unique Crooked Mile Talking Pictures which first got me to think that it would be a good idea to document such small cinemas. The Crooked Mile is no longer a cinema (see Blog entry) but it was once rather special to watch a film in such a lovely old, creaky building as the wind raged outside on the wild West Coast.
Sited in the main street of this West Coast town, the Regent Theatre has been a prominent feature in Hokitika for more than 80 years. The theatre was built in 1935 and opened in 1936 (difficult years in New Zealand's history) and after a period of glory, it went into decline until it was purchased as a community resource by the Westland Community Centre Inc. The town now regards it as their town hall; providing a venue for film screenings, live concerts, dance recitals, important commemorations and town meetings. When I visited in December 2019, the main auditorium was being used of end-of-school-year prize-giving and performances (as was the Regent Theatre in nearby Greymouth). There are over 25,000 visits to the Regent Hokitika each year, which represents an average of 7 visits per resident (https://www.hokitikaregent.com/about-us-contact)
The main auditorium is rather grand and was refurbished some years ago, with tremendous local support. The theatre is run by a mix of paid staff and volunteers, and the film screenings provide a mix of mainstream and art house films--which can be screened in the main theatre and the smaller venue.
Hokitika has a particular place in respect of this website, for it was my encounter with the unique Crooked Mile Talking Pictures which first got me to think that it would be a good idea to document such small cinemas. The Crooked Mile is no longer a cinema (see Blog entry) but it was once rather special to watch a film in such a lovely old, creaky building as the wind raged outside on the wild West Coast.