Castle Sidcup

In Sidcup, in the south-east London Borough of Bexley, the Sidcup Storyteller opened on Thursday 15th June 2023.

Built on the site of a former Blockbuster Video store, it is a partnership between the London Borough of Bexley and independent operator Really Local Group, which also runs the Catford Mews Cinemas and Reading Biscuit Factory Cinemas (see separate Cinema Treasures entries).

There are three auditoriums: Screens 1 and 2 each have 39 seats, while Screen 3 has 61. In keeping with the operator’s community aspirations, there is also a café, a bar and co-working spaces. Sidcup Library has relocated there from its former premises in Hadlow Road, which are to be demolished and replaced by 32 flats.

A preview of “The Flash”, starring Ezra Miller and Sasha Calle, was presented on the opening evening. It is not clear whether other films were also screened that evening, but the following day “The Flash” was screened alongside “The Little Mermaid” and children’s favourites “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”. The Sidcup Storyteller Cinema was closed on 29th July 2025 due to the operating company Really Local Group had gone into insolvency in January 2025, but staff volunteered to keep it operating until the July date.

It was announced on 26th November 2025 that the council owned building would be reopened by the operators of the Castle Cinema, Hommerton in NE London. The Bexley Council have agreed to subsidise part of the running costs and it is due to reopen in December 2025.

The Storyteller has brought ‘big screen’ entertainment back to Sidcup for the first time since the King’s Hall Picture Playhouse/Regal/Cannon/ABC (see separate Cinema Treasures entry) closed in August 2000. It was reopened on 12, 2025 as the Castle Sidcup.

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