Croydon’s David Lean Cinema will be celebrating its 30th birthday on Monday, 3 March with a classic film screening and some special guests.

A significant cultural milestone should be celebrated properly, so it’s only right that Croydon’s beloved independent cinema has chosen to screen a classic David Lean film. Tickets are now available for Lean’s 1945 adaptation of Noel Coward’s supernatural comedy Blithe Spirit, starring Rex Harrison and Constance Cummings, on Monday 3 March, 7:30pm.

Joining the festivities will be Sally Beard, a trustee of The David Lean Foundation, as well as Croydon’s Civic Mayor and Deputy Civic Mayor. Everyone will be invited to enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbly to toast the 30th celebrations.

Friday, 3 March 1995 was a significant day for Croydon. The David Lean Cinema opened its doors for the first time for screenings of Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures. The Museum of Croydon (then called Lifetimes) opened and also presented a spectacular Picasso exhibition.

Now, thirty years to the day, you’re invited to join in the celebrations of one of Croydon’s cultural institutions.

Sam Clark, chair of the cinema’s committee, said: “Last March, we marked ten years since reopening the David Lean as a community cinema. This occasion enables us to pay tribute to all who in the 1990s shared a vision to make Croydon Clocktower a vibrant arts centre”.

Blithe Spirit is a Technicolor masterpiece, and one of Lean’s four collaborations with Noel Coward. It even won Best Special Effects at the 1947 Academy Awards. It’s a film loved by generations, and Lean’s final picture before being catapulted to stratospheric success with Brief Encounter.

Book your ticket: https://www.davidleancinema.org.uk/event/blithe-spirit/