Montrose Playhouse

"Such a great cinema! Clean, comfortable seats & even settees! Staff are always friendly and chatty and it's so nice to sit with friends over a nice glass of wine! 🥰"

kaye banks

"We really enjoyed our visit to watch 'I, swear' this evening. The staff were friendly and professional. The seats were comfortable and roomy. The pizza was yummy. Generally the atmosphere was inviting. Great to be in an independent, community cinema. Thank you."

Heather Begarnie

"The Montrose playhouse exemplifies the notion that art is for everyone. With art house films shown alongside huge releases, the Playhouse maximises its 3 small screens to ensure everyone in Angus has access to a huge array of art. It is so impressive how varied and huge their selection of films are, from Disney to Mubi to The National Theatre, the Playhouse showcases cinema in all its forms. There have been many films that I’ve been unable to find showings for in larger cities, yet Montrose has been running them (looking at you Memoir of a Snail)!

The Montrose Playhouse brings international and independent cinema beyond the big cities, connecting a small town to the world stage and thoroughly rejecting the assumption that everyday, ordinary people aren’t interested in art house cinema.

I also love the way they showcase their films. For example, their secret screenings run on the mantra of highlighting films that you might not ordinarily choose to watch, and thus promote opening yourself to a new experience. Some of the weird and wonderful highlights have been Sasquatch Sunset, Sing Sing and I Saw the Tv Glow (again films that didn’t have a wide release and were criminally under seen!)

Another huge benefit of the Playhouse is its affordability and sense of community. Run as a charity, the Playhouse uses its space to bring people together and genuinely help the people of Angus. From charity screenings to promote mental health charities, to free bike repair workshops, community is fundamental to the ethos of the cinema. I also firmly believe that affordability is hugely important in ensuring the accessibility of cinema. And by making the cinema genuinely the cheapest I have encountered in the UK, it ensures great cinema is available to working class people.

Finally, they sell their film posters for a charity donation, and as someone who loves collecting physical posters from my favourite films, this is a huge win.

Having now moved to Glasgow, I still find myself frequently returning to Montrose to visit the Playhouse. I hope its nomination highlights this dearly beloved cinema to more people - once you go once, you will find yourself forever returning!"

Laura Bradford