Sale of Ramsgate’s Granville Cinema for £125k plus fees now complete

Zahra, Matt and Parisa aim to reopen the Granville by next April

The sale of Ramsgate’s Granville Cinema for £125,000 plus Thanet council’s surveyor fees has completed today (October 24).

The building has now been transferred into the ownership of Westwood One Ltd, which also operates Under 1 Roof Thanet in Pysons Road and Under 1 Roof Canterbury.

The company is headed up by Ramsgate sisters Zahra and Parisa Tarjomani and Pyramid Martial Arts & Just Kids Parties owner Matt Milchard.

The plans for the building are to bring it back into use as a theatre and cinema with café and community arts space.

A Thanet council spokesperson said: “Under their ownership, the theatre will refurbished to provide a high quality production, dance and cinema space for the communities of Ramsgate and the wider district.”

Last month, when it was revealed Westwood One Ltd had been the successful bidder, the trio behind the company said: “Our plans for this historic and beautiful building are grand but our main purpose is to bring life back onto the stage, into the wings and turn the space into something our community can be proud of.

“Our history with The Granville started when we were young children, performing alongside our best friends, now partners, and families. It just feels wonderful to be a part of bringing it back to life. Walking through the derelict building was heart-breaking and we turned to each other and said “We have to do something”… and so we did!”

The trio are proposing to return the building to one auditorium – as was the case in the 1940s – with  a 600+ seater capacity, full regeneration of the theatre space, a sea view café and bar, exhibition space, co-working space, workshop and education space.

Zahra and Parisa also run Regency Performance Arts C.I.C and Regency Productions, which for over 15 years has been providing productions and performance opportunities to children and adults within the local area and beyond.

The sisters  took over the Regency brand from their mother Sophia who sadly lost her battle with cancer, seven years ago. Since then they have continued running the company in her memory, carrying on with her legacy of providing the people of Thanet with live theatre by putting on shows at both the Winter Gardens and Theatre Royal in Margate.

Matt Milchard has over 20 years’ experience in the theatre and entertainment sector running touring pantomime and events companies providing thousands of events for both corporate and community projects.

Together they have undertook the huge development of the Under 1 Roof site on Pysons Road in Ramsgate and also the new Canterbury site, turning them around in just over two years.

Find the Granville Theatre on facebook here

Or get in touch with the team at [email protected] 

29 Comments

        • Those who are obsessed with promoting their own idealogy with the help of public money – as opposed to those investing with their own money to actually run a business, or at least try to improve the area.

          Compare the dilapidated “art” shelter in Cliftonville to the lovingly restored shelters (via local fundraising events) in Minnis Bay, and you’ll understand what I mean.

  1. That didn’t answer why “BLM LGBTQ DFL’s”?
    On people using public money to follow ideological obsessions pretty much describes the Tory party since the 2008 crash! So I’m with you there.
    In Ramsgate the shelters are restored and maintained by volunteers, using their time and money. We also have loads of arty types (rather than archetypes) producing joyful and thoughtful works for public consumption, not private gain.
    So can you answer? Why BLM, LGBTQ & DFL in the context you used them?

    • Rishi would I be callous to say that you can relate to these labels in some way?
      I’m never one to moan about division. I see communities working well together, thanet is a different entity.

      The ilse of death, kinda quirky. The 80s here was definitely detached compared to now. If I were a DFL living here I’d pipe right down, the community knows this.

  2. All the down from Kent people who work in London, take up all the seats on the tube, get good salaries, vote for Tory fascists like Craig Shifty, live in the 1950s. Stay home.

      • Everything is political Jay. That’s the truth. A local theatre given away for 125k which can be no flipped for enormous profit as soon as the deal allows is political.

        Peter as always started the political rants with his usual hidden racist xenophobic twaddle.

        • Not sure how someone with a West Indian stepdad who praises the country’s first Asian PM is racist, but carry on believing it if it makes you feel a little better about your own lack of success in life.

          • Checksfield returns to his trolling ways!
            Sarcastic, flippant then rude and nasty, but always making an issue all about him!
            If you think, just because a person’s skin colour is brown they can’t be racist, it’s you who needs to get out more.

          • Morning Garry, how are you on this bright and breezy day?

            Oh, I understand that – indeed, Sunak’s family came over here to flee rampaging Africans. That is why I have no time for all this BLM nonsense. ALL lives matter!

            Back on topic, if I may be so bold… what do YOU Think of the sale of the Granville? Was it too cheap? Are they the wrong people?

            I await your reply with baited breath.

            Meanwhile, have a wonderful day!

      • I’m glad such a valuable asset was given away for next to nothing.

        That’s positive.

        When are you gonna stop trolling these pages and go write or whatever it is you pretend do to for living

        • “Given away” cheaply to someone who can be trusted to make a success of it, as opposed to someone who’ll run it into the ground and then declare it “unviable”…

          When are you going to do a little research of your own, instead of anonymously condemning others who actually know a thing or two about the area and its people? Better still, get out more. Thanet has a lot to offer.

  3. Peter, I would be happy to chat and/or debate but I don’t trust you to take it seriously, you rarely do!
    I’m well and wondering should I risk hanging out the washing.

    • I take everything SEMI-seriously! It is pointless getting worked-up over things. I still have a genuine interest in politics and local affairs though.

      Anyway, me and my loved one are off out for a long cross-country walk in this glorious weather.

Comments are closed.