2017 has been designated Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, and as part of Dundee’s forthcoming community Hogmanay celebrations the clock is being turned back for New Media Scotland‘s Atmosphere Cinema. 1936 was the year when the city’s former ‘Cathedral of Motion Pictures’, Green’s Playhouse first opened to the public on what is now the site of Dundee’s Mecca Bingo hall on Nethergate.
New Media Scotland, in collaboration with NEoN Digital Arts Festival and Film Mobile, invite people to step inside the iconic Art Deco tower to watch Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s ‘Broadway Melody of 1936’ as the silver screen returns to the site for one night only on Tuesday 3 January 2017. The free event starts at 8.30pm, and the audience are encouraged to dress like their favourite vintage Hollywood stars.
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, Broadway Melody of 1936 tells the story of a budding star (Eleanor Powell) trying to convince her high school sweetheart, now a Broadway producer (Robert Taylor) to give her a chance to star in his new musical. There are plenty of classic song and dance routines from Hollywood’s golden era along the way.
Atmosphere is an expanded cinema research programme that has been delivered by New Media Scotland since 2010. It re-imagines the concept of Atmospheric movie theatres from the 1920s and 1930s using guest artists and creatives to work with technology old and new.
Donna Holford-Lovell, curator of NEoN Digital Arts Festival said, “Atmosphere made an awesome debut at NEoN in Dundee this year with Disney’s Wreck-it Ralph, so we’ve seized the opportunity to work with New Media Scotland again. We’re bingo-ing mad!”
The event is supported by Dundee City Council with thanks to Mecca Bingo. Attendees can play bingo from 6:30pm before the main feature starts, but are required to take out a membership if they do not already have one.
Broadway Melody of 1936
Date: Tuesday 3 January 2017
Time: 8.30pm
Venue: Mecca Bingo, Nethergate, Dundee
Free tickets are available here and on the door, on the night.