Parkway Cinema Workington celebrates first birthday

Opening a luxury £4million cinema at Dunmail Park in Workington following a global pandemic was always going to be a risk - but it has paid off.

The six-screen cinema at Dunmail Park, which features luxury leather recliners, 4K laser projection and 3D, Dolby surround sound, is thriving one year after opening its doors to the public.

Staff at Parkway Cinema Workington are celebrating a successful first year (Image: Submitted)

Richard Parkes, director of Parkway Cinemas, said: “The community couldn’t have been more welcoming. It’s always nerve-racking when you try something new.

"What we’ve built is so different to what was there before and the locals have embraced us with open arms. It’s been really lovely.

“It’s the sort of cinema that you normally get in big cities. It was a bit of a risk to do it where we’ve done it but the audience and regulars seem to love it. We are delighted.

“It was absolutely manic when we first opened. We had about 1,000 people over that weekend. It’s just been brilliant ever since."

It’s been a big year for the film industry with the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer in the summer – and Parkway felt the impact of this.

The 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon has been a highlight in the cinema's first year (Image: Parkway Cinema)

Richard said: “The whole ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon just ignited that interest in cinema again that we haven’t seen for years.

“Watching both of those films with an audience is amazing. When the bomb goes off in Oppenheimer, it’s phenomenal.”

Parkway Cinemas top 10 films:

1.           Barbie

2.           Wonka

3.           Super Mario

4.           Oppenheimer

5.           Guardians of the Galaxy

6.           Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Pt1

7.           The Little Mermaid

8.           Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

9.           Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

10.        Elemental

The busiest single day was on National Cinema Day when 1,500 people visited in one day.

Richard added: “The staff were amazing. We were so, so busy. The atmosphere has been unbelievably good.”