About the Electric
Discover the story behind how our cinemas were established and developed.
Electric Cinema Portobello
Originally built in 1911, the cinema reopened on April 22nd 2002 as the Electric Cinema, House and Brasserie, an offshoot and first public cinema of the Soho House Group. Taking programming style back to the Electric Screen days of the 80’s, the cinema planned to show first run features and opened with About A Boy.
The 240 seats were replaced with 98 leather armchairs, some with footstools, and two massive leather sofas at the back of the auditorium. A bar was installed in the cinema serving everything from cocktails to pints of lager to bottles of wine – and not a carton of popcorn in sight! Finally, a bespoke screen was installed that highlighted and preserved the beautiful proscenium arch and added a bit more pizzazz to the whole experience. Designed to be able to show any size of film, from widescreen to TV, the screen kicks off every show by extending beyond the arch and widening to whatever size is needed, right before the audience’s eyes…
Electric Cinema White City
Housed in Television Centre, Electric Cinema White City sits inside a landmark piece of modern architecture. The rich past of the iconic building can be seen in the artworks on the walls of Electric Cinema White City, inspired by the cultural heritage of the space which, for over 50 years, was home to the BBC.From 1960 – 2013 Television Centre became synonymous with some of the country’s biggest and most celebrated TV shows, launching the likes of Top of the Pops, Doctor Who and Blue Peter.