Screen On The Green
The Screen on the Green is a historic single-screen cinema and live-events venue facing Islington Green in London.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Screen on the Green is a single-screen cinema and entertainment venue on Upper Street, facing Islington Green in the London Borough of Islington. Its current building opened in October 1913 as the Empress Electric Theatre and is among the oldest continuously operating cinemas in the United Kingdom. The venue was purpose-built during the expansion of permanent cinemas that followed the Cinematograph Act 1909, which introduced new safety and regulatory expectations for film theatres. The site began as an early picture-show location associated with the Pesaresi brothers, who had operated an animated-picture show nearby. With financial support from Thomas Harrold, a neighboring draper, the brothers assembled the surrounding properties and commissioned a new electric theatre from architects Boreham & Gladding. The resulting cinema originally seated approximately 600 people on one floor. It was soon renamed the Empress Picture Theatre. Although regarded as smart when new, the cinema had become run-down by the late 1930s as larger and more elaborate picture palaces gained popularity. In 1951, the venue reopened after refurbishment as The Rex. Its seating capacity was reduced to about 514, and management introduced a single-price admission policy. During the 1960s, The Rex served local immigrant communities by presenting Turkish-language films, imported from Turkey and shown without subtitles, as well as weekly Greek-language screenings organized for the local Greek community. The cinema closed on 20 June 1970 after acquiring a reputation as a low-grade or neglected venue. Romaine Hart’s Mainline Pictures Group purchased and extensively refurbished the building, reopening it on 13 September 1970 under the name The Screen on the Green. Hart’s approach treated cinema as a broader cultural and social experience rather than simply a place for routine film exhibition. The venue became associated with a more stylish, informal and event-oriented form of cinema and was regarded as an influential model for independent cinemas in Britain. It operated within the Screen Cinemas circuit, which included several other London-area venues and a cinema in Winchester. A major redesign completed in February 1981 was prepared by Fletcher Priest. The work introduced foyer space that the original building had lacked, while reducing capacity to approximately 300 seats. In the 1970s and 1980s, the venue also became a fashionable meeting place and hosted live performances by important British punk and alternative acts. A notable event was the 29 August 1976 Midnight Special, at which the Sex Pistols were supported by The Clash and Buzzcocks. The Clash’s appearance was their third concert and the first of their performances known to have been recorded. Sid Vicious made his first performance with the Sex Pistols at the venue on 3 April 1977. The cinema changed ownership in 2008 when the Screen Cinemas circuit was sold to Everyman Media Group. A further major refurbishment took place in December 2009. This added a full-size bar within the auditorium and a stage in front of the screen, strengthening the venue’s ability to host comedy, music and other live events alongside conventional film screenings. Performers associated with its post-refurbishment live programme include Stewart Lee, Stephen K. Amos and Phill Jupitus. The venue is now operated under the Everyman banner as Everyman Screen on the Green. Its identity combines independent-cinema heritage, repertory and contemporary film exhibition, hospitality, and live entertainment. The building and its cultural associations have also given it a continuing presence in popular culture: it is referenced in Adam and the Ants’ song “Fall In,” released as the B-side of “Antmusic” in 1980, and appears in Ultravox’s 1981 music video for “The Voice.”
History
The site occupied by The Screen on the Green developed from early twentieth-century picture exhibition in Islington. The Pesaresi brothers had operated an animated-picture show at 83 Upper Street. With financing from Thomas Harrold, who ran a drapery business next door, they acquired adjacent properties at numbers 84 to 86. The existing shops were demolished and replaced by a purpose-built electric theatre designed by Boreham & Gladding. The building opened in October 1913, during a period when the Cinematograph Act 1909 was encouraging the construction of purpose-built cinemas subject to formal safety requirements. The venue initially operated as the Empress Electric Theatre and was renamed the Empress Picture Theatre soon after opening. It had a single floor and capacity for approximately 600 people. Although considered an attractive and modern cinema in its early years, it lost some of its status by the late 1930s as larger picture palaces appeared. The building nevertheless remained an important local film venue. The Empress closed for refurbishment in 1951 and reopened in December of that year as The Rex. The new operation seated around 514 people and adopted a single-price admission policy, initially charging 1 shilling and 9 pence per seat. The reopening included a ceremonial fanfare by the Islington Air Training Corps. During the 1960s, the cinema broadened its community role. Turkish-language films were flown in for regular screenings serving Islington’s Turkish population, while the local Greek community arranged Greek-language film shows every Sunday. These screenings demonstrate that the venue was not only a general-market cinema but also a place where local communities could maintain linguistic and cultural connections. The Rex closed on 20 June 1970. It was widely regarded at that point as a neglected cinema. Romaine Hart’s Mainline Pictures Group then acquired the site, refurbished it, and reopened it on 13 September 1970 as The Screen on the Green. The reopening marked a change in both name and operating philosophy. Hart helped establish a more informal and stylish cinema model in which the venue itself, its atmosphere and its social setting were part of the attraction. The cinema became associated with a fashionable audience and with the revival of independent cinema culture in London. The venue formed part of the Screen Cinemas circuit, a small independent group that also included Screen on the Hill in Belsize Park, The Screen on Baker Street and The Screen in Winchester. In February 1981, Fletcher Priest designed a comprehensive modernization. The project created foyer space that had not existed in the original building and reduced the auditorium’s capacity to approximately 300 seats. The cinema’s single-screen format and central Islington location remained core parts of its identity. The Screen on the Green also became a live-performance venue. Its most famous event was the Midnight Special on Sunday 29 August 1976, when the Sex Pistols appeared with support from The Clash and Buzzcocks in a showcase organized by Malcolm McLaren. The concert was The Clash’s third gig and the first of their performances known to have been recorded. On 3 April 1977, Sid Vicious made his first appearance with the Sex Pistols at the venue after Glen Matlock’s departure from the group. These events connected the cinema with the early history of British punk and helped give it cultural significance beyond film exhibition. In 2008, Hart sold the Screen Cinemas circuit to Everyman Media Group. The venue later operated under the Everyman brand. A third major refurbishment in December 2009 added a full-size bar inside the auditorium and a full-size stage in front of the screen. These changes supported a hybrid programme of film, hospitality, comedy and other live events. The cinema has hosted performers including Stewart Lee, Stephen K. Amos and Phill Jupitus. The venue’s cultural footprint extends into music and visual media. Adam and the Ants referenced it in “Fall In,” the B-side to “Antmusic,” released in 1980. Ultravox used the cinema in the 1981 music video for “The Voice.” Romaine Hart died on 28 December 2021 at the age of 88. As of the reference material’s 2025 description, the venue operates as Everyman Screen on the Green, preserving its long-running role as a cinema and entertainment venue facing Islington Green.
- 2009
Auditorium bar and stage added
[1]A major refurbishment added a full-size bar and stage, strengthening the venue’s live-events capability.
- 2008
Joins the Everyman group
[1]Everyman Media Group acquired the Screen Cinemas circuit, bringing Screen on the Green into the Everyman network.
- 1981
Major modernization introduces foyer space
[1]A Fletcher Priest refurbishment created foyer space and reduced the cinema’s seating capacity to approximately 300.
- 1977
Sid Vicious performs with the Sex Pistols
[1]Sid Vicious made his first performance with the Sex Pistols at the venue on 3 April 1977 after Glen Matlock left the band.
- 1976
Punk showcase at the Midnight Special
[1]The Sex Pistols appeared with The Clash and Buzzcocks on 29 August 1976 in a showcase organized by Malcolm McLaren.
- 1970
Reopens as The Screen on the Green
[1]Following closure of The Rex, Romaine Hart’s Mainline Pictures Group refurbished the venue and reopened it on 13 September 1970 with its current historic identity.
- 1951
Reopens as The Rex
[1]After refurbishment, the cinema reopened in December 1951 under the name The Rex with a reduced capacity and a single-price ticket policy.
- 1913
Purpose-built cinema opens
[1]The building opened in October 1913 as the Empress Electric Theatre, replacing shops on Upper Street and establishing the site as a permanent cinema.
Products and positioning
A historic, character-led independent cinema venue combining film exhibition with hospitality and live entertainment in an iconic Islington location.
Film exhibition · 1913
Cinema screenings
The venue’s core offering is film exhibition in a single-screen auditorium. Under the Everyman banner, it combines the intimacy and architectural character of a historic local cinema with contemporary cinema programming. Specific current titles and programming schedules are not established by the supplied reference material.
Entertainment events · 1976
Live events
The Screen on the Green has hosted concerts, comedy and other live performances. Its stage, added during the 2009 refurbishment, made the auditorium more suitable for events beyond conventional film screenings. The venue is particularly associated with historic punk performances and later comedy appearances.
Cinema hospitality · 2009
Food and beverage hospitality
A full-size bar was introduced within the auditorium during the December 2009 refurbishment. This hospitality feature supports the Everyman-style positioning of cinema as a social and experiential outing rather than solely a ticketed screening.
Brand decisions
2009
Expansion into live entertainment and hospitalityStrategyBackground
The venue had an established history of hosting music and cultural events in addition to films.
Action taken
The refurbishment added a full-size bar inside the auditorium and a full-size stage in front of the screen.
Aftermath
The cinema became better equipped for comedy, music and other live events while continuing as a film venue.
2008
Acquisition by Everyman Media GroupM&ABackground
The independent Screen Cinemas circuit was sold after operating as a small group of London-area cinemas.
Action taken
Everyman Media Group acquired the circuit, including Screen on the Green.
Aftermath
The venue became part of the Everyman cinema network and is now presented as Everyman Screen on the Green.
1981
Modernization and capacity reductionOtherBackground
The original building lacked a dedicated foyer and required modernization.
Action taken
Fletcher Priest redesigned the venue, creating foyer space and reducing seating capacity to approximately 300.
Aftermath
The cinema retained its single-screen format while gaining a more contemporary customer-arrival and hospitality layout.
1970
Repositioning as The Screen on the GreenStrategyBackground
The former Rex had closed after becoming associated with a neglected, low-grade cinema experience.
Action taken
Romaine Hart’s Mainline Pictures Group refurbished the building and reopened it under the Screen on the Green name, presenting cinema as a more stylish and socially oriented experience.
Aftermath
The venue became a model associated with the revival of independent and event-led cinema in Britain and developed a strong cultural identity.
Sources3 sources
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