Genesis Cinema

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by Mike Whyte (subscribe)

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Published January 24th 2015

One of the nicest cinemas around

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The cinema. The movies. The flicks. Whatever you call them, it is hard to imagine there is anyone who doesn't know a good cinema. Most people associate a good cinema more with the movies they show, rather than the building itself - that's probably because they don't know the Genesis.

The Genesis cinema is probably what you would call a local cinema, as it sits off the main street of Mile End Road somewhere between Stepney Green and Whitechapel tube stations. This belies the beauty of the building, as well as a very interesting history though.

Originally a music hall, the theatre (as this was the original function of the building), hosted acts of the calibre of Charlie Chaplin, and even Laurel and Hardy. It eventually turned into a cinema, but after many years of changing hands, and affected by the birth of home video, it eventually closed in 1989...

only to be reborn as the Genesis cinema in 1999. The cinema has gone from strength to strength and boasts a number of features worthy of your attention. The first to note is the cafe, which is open from a very un-cinema-like 9am in the morning, serving good coffee and locally sourced pastries and produce from the local area. Later in the day the bar and kitchen upstairs comes into play, serving designer cocktails and pies from the famous Pieminister Pies in the relaxed bar area.

Now for the main event, which is of course the cinema itself. The walls are decorated with paintings from famous movie scenes, and the cinema itself houses five screens varying in size from the largest 575-seater to the luxurious screen five (forty seats comprising of sofas and armchairs.

Best of all, the prices are much cheaper than you expect for a cinema of this quality, with prices getting as low as £4 for adults on Mondays and Wednesdays, and everything from arthouse to blockbusters being shown on the screens, with plenty of events too. Time to get the popcorn ready...