Lifting the veil on Britain’s greatest comic genius.

A new feature documentary film titled THE REAL KEN DODD: The Man I Loved will premiere at The Varieties on Sun 9 June 2024. Narrated by Miriam Margolyes and featuring interviews with stars such as Sir Ian McKellen, Paul O’Grady, and Jonny Vegas, the documentary delves into Doddy’s private world, revealing the secrets of his comic talent through never-before-seen home videos, stage performances, and extracts from his extensive diary notebooks.

As part of Staycation Festival in the Howard Assembly Room and Kino, don’t miss this marathon of movie magic, as we screen all three films in the Before trilogy in one day. Book an antipasti picnic basket, handmade by the team at Kino, to enjoy at your table during the film and settle in…

Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy was filmed over 18 years, and follows the same couple, Céline and Jesse (played by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke) as they meet, fall in and out of love, and travel through some of Europe’s most glamorous locations.

Be whisked away by the jazz, dancing and bright lights of An American in Paris, paired with a three-course menu offering a taste of France

George Gershwin’s iconic, jazz-influenced music underscores Vincente Minnelli’s Oscar-winning romantic musical comedy. Gene Kelly stars as former American GI, Jerry, struggling to find his way as a painter in post-World War II Paris. Expect dance numbers, love triangles and dreamy aesthetics in this joyous musical.

Enjoy some Gershwin tunes to get you in the mood before the film, with a 30-minute live set by Lucy-Anne Daniels.

Fun for all the family in this animated comedy-drama, paired with a French-themed lunch for adults and children

Remy the rat joins forces with clumsy kitchen worker Linguini, as he follows his dream of becoming Paris’ finest chef. Cue hilarity and high jinks that will turn the city’s restaurants upside down! This Disney Pixar film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and is a romp of charming, life-enhancing fun for all the family.

A jazz trio sets the mood with upbeat live music in the Howard Assembly Room atrium before the film.

Let this feel-good musical whisk you away, plus enjoy a three-course menu offering up a taste of Greece

ABBA’s most recognisable songs in a jukebox musical. With a star-studded cast featuring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan, and set against the backdrop of the stunning Greek island of ‘Kalokairi’, Mamma Mia! is the ultimate feel-good summer movie.

Ready to sing along? Prepare those vocal chords with a group warm up before the screening, led by chorus member Molly Barker and Opera North pianist Annette Saunders.

A special Staycation film screening for US Independence Day, with live music and a themed Americana menu in Kino

Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon are the best friends on a weekend getaway in a sleek blue Thunderbird. After an incident at a roadside diner, the road trip turns into an escape from the law, and a chase across Arkansas toward the Grand Canyon. Callie Khouri won an Oscar for the screenplay, and Ridley Scott’s cinematography captures the immense beauty of the West.

Enjoy a special set of live music before the film by Lauren Housley and The Northern Cowboys.

Escape into romance in the classic movie Roman Holiday, paired with a three-course menu exuding Italian nostalgia – that’s amore!

William Wyler’s Oscar-winning romantic comedy, Roman Holiday is the archetypal ‘staycation film’. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, and a lovingly shot 1950s Rome, it tells the story of a bored and sheltered princess who escapes her guardians and heads into the eternal city with an American newsman.

Journey further down the Italian coast for a 30-minute live music set of Neapolitan songs from Aidan Edward before the film.

For as long as they can remember, the Solé family has spent every summer picking the peaches in their orchard in Alcarràs, a small village in Catalonia. But this year’s crop may well be their last, as they face eviction. The new plans for the land, which include cutting down the peach trees and installing solar panels, cause a rift in this large, tight-knit family. For the first time, they face an uncertain future and risk losing more than their orchard

Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale

Film reviews:

Join Jamie to learn some of the founding principles of animation.

Whether being a physical journey, an imaginative journey, a personal life journey, you will be taught the exciting adventure of creating your own animation from scratch.