Duke’s Days: The Cat and the Canary + Live Intro

Join us to celebrate the 171^st birthday of the Duke’s founder, Violet Melnotte-Wyatt, with a very special screening featuring a live introduction by our cinema tour guide, Sam Harris, telling the fascinating biography of Violet with never-before-seen photos and newly-unearthed tales from across her life.

“I want an electric theatre!” So declared the comic opera star turned theatre manager in 1908 to begin the story of the nation’s oldest cinema.

Leaving a legacy as a pioneer in the world of theatre (the first woman to ever open and own her own establishment), Violet also had a reputation for eccentricity and even scandal in early 20^th century society. Despite her critics in the press, her undeniable ambition and foresight helped ignite the opening wave of the first picture palaces.

We’re paying tribute to one of the legendary characters in our cinema’s story with 1927’s haunted house mystery thriller, The Cat and the Canary. An experimental, comedic theatre-to-film horror adaptation that Melnotte-Wyatt would likely have loved with a wry smile in her day.

Step back in time to the days of yore at the Duke of York's with Duke's Days, a series of films and special extras, all telling the story of the nation's oldest cinema. Find the whole programme here.