Frank Cottrell Boyce and his family are paying for 50 free tickets at screenings of The Secret Garden (PG) at Annan’s Lonsdale Cinema over the next week.
He hopes it will encourage greater use of the cinema, which is run by Alan Towers.
Frank, who wrote the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony and is behind film hits such as Welcome to Sarajevo and 24 Hour Party People, as well as episodes of soap Brookside, said: “I did this at my other local cinema here in Liverpool. All the tickets went within the hour and the subsequent buzz filled the cinema for the first time since March.
“It would be lovely to think the same thing would happen in Annan
Just getting people back through the doors and getting people together made a difference.”
A regular visitor to the area, with a property in Cummertrees, Frank often attends the Lonsdale for screenings.
He said: “It would be an absolute tragedy for Annan – in fact for the whole area – if we lost that cinema.”
Alan is thrilled at the gesture and hopes it will encourage more people into his covid secure premises, which he is currently running himself.
He said: “I am soldiering on, keeping it open is a matter of principle and everyone is so appreciative.
“And I believe that with the lockdown and restrictions elsewhere in Scotland that as of Thursday this week, we will be one of only 15 cinemas open in the whole of the UK.”
Referring to the giveaway, he said there are no conditions and the free tickets can be used at screenings of the new film on Saturday, Sunday or Tuesday and again next weekend.
To secure a free ticket, email [email protected] by 3 pm on Friday November 6. The first 50 people to email their name and mobile number will be successful and Alan will then be in touch to organise visit times.
