Theatre build’s exciting conclusion
Tamasin and Charlie Prince test the experience with an Aquaman trailer. Photo: Dan Hutchinson
Drama, action and a little bit of romantic comedy sums up the sequel to Taupō’s Starlight Cinema.
By Dan Hutchinson
Owners Tamasin and Charlie Prince are busy overseeing the finishing touches to the replacement cinema on Oruanui St, with late March touted as a possible opening date.
The facade is yet to be finished and tradies are still hard at work finishing off jobs in the interior.
But the three theatres inside the complex are just about finished.
The complex features 126 “eco-leather” seats across three theatres, with theatre sizes of 45, 38 and 33 respectively.
The largest theatre features bigger seats that recline for extra comfort.
"I wish I wasn't so stressed so that I could be more excited," Tamasin says.
"You constantly feel like you're forgetting something. You go to sleep thinking about it, you wake up thinking about it."
Special attention was paid to the choice of seats for the new Starlight Cinema. Photo: Dan Hutchinson
The largest theatre showcases luxury seating that Tamasin selected. She has also brought Taupō interior designer Holly Houndstooth on board for the overall aesthetic vision.
"She's got just the most exquisite vision and taste.”
The cinema's sound system and noise cancellation technology creates an immersive experience that Prince describes as remarkable.
"When that door shuts, you feel like you're in space. It's weird when there's nothing, when it's just pure silence."
While the cinema will be completely different to the old one, staff from the original cinema operation are returning to work at the new venue.
"This was my first time leading a team of employees, so I was quite flattered that they wanted to come back."
The cinema plans to operate seven days a week initially, though Prince said they may consider taking Mondays off if business quietens after the initial excitement.
"I think people are quite excited and they just want to come and see something."
A grand opening is planned which will include the same band that played at the original cinema's opening in 1960, though with different members.
The restored popcorn machine from the original cinema will be prominently displayed in the corner as the first thing visitors see when entering.
"She is all cleaned up and she's gonna have a few good little paint jobs on her and she'll be back," Charlie says.
External work continues on the building's frontage, with new signage and a brown and cream striped awning.
"We're obviously going to be busiest when it's raining, probably, so that needs to be completely covered," Tamasin says.
While no specific opening night film has been confirmed, they are monitoring upcoming releases.
The exact opening date is still not known, as the couple are prioritising quality over speed.
"If it's April, it doesn't matter. In five years, it's not going to matter when we opened."
The theatre design incorporates dark tones with contrasting desert-coloured seating in the premium theatre, high quality sound system, screens and projection.
Prince initially planned for 50, 40 and 30 seats across the three theatres but adjusted the numbers based on the available space and seating configurations.