"A lovely, nostalgic experience": Movie lovers praise affordable cinema inside Luton Library Theatre

The Orange Picture Club, inside the Luton Library Theatre, offers low-cost tickets and budget snacks for individuals and families who wanting to watch something on the big screen.

Going to the cinema for less than a fiver is practically unheard of now. And even in 2000, the average price of a cinema ticket in the UK was £4.40, according to the UK Cinema Association. But the Orange Picture Club is selling their seats for just £4.

Brothers Jasbir and Jaspal Nangla, along with friends Mac Pajka and Dan Eyles, opened the cinema in December with the first round of Christmassy screenings to get everyone in the holiday spirit.

More than 180 people attended the four screenings in the lead-up to Christmas, and the organisers gave 16 free tickets to Luton Foodbank, X-4RCE CIC, and Tokko Youth Hub service users.

Sian Muggride went twice with her older teenaged children and sister. With eight tickets costing £32, Sian was “happy to not spend hundreds on a day out”.

She said: “It was so cheap. The snacks were ridiculously cheap compared to Cineworld.

“We were looking for something that was Christmas Eve but wasn't over the top. You pay hundreds of pounds for panto tickets and even to go and see a light show. This was really cheap and just a lovely, nostalgic experience.”

The Dunstable family went to see the Muppet's Christmas Carol via the public transport through the Luton and Dunstable busway - cutting down the cost further.

She explained: “This was just a chance to go somewhere local and have an experience with other people. It's a shame there weren’t more people there.”

Luton businessman, Ben Thomson, went with his family of four to see Home Alone – with their tickets totalling just £20.

He said: "The normal cinema is so expensive, isn't it? The ticket price alone, and then the money spent on the food and drinks is just crazy.

“It's nice to see local people doing creative things for the community, at such a discounted rate as well. I didn't realise that there were all these facilities in the library, and I've lived in Luton my whole life, so it's opened up my eyes.”

The brains behind the Orange Picture Club have more screenings soon, which they will announce on their social media channels.

Jasbir, from the Club, said: “We’re really proud of lowering the barrier of entry. This is because we believe films inspire people to look beyond their actual means and reach.”