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.
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