FOCAL POINT GALLERY
THE PALACE THEATRE
Programme live
31 Oct 26
15-17 & 22-24 January 2027
2027
dates
This year's Christmas Film Sunday at The Palace Theatre is on 6th December 2026.
Buddy (Will Ferrell) is different from all of Santa's other elves. For one thing, he's "a cotton-headed ninny muggins" when it comes to making toys. For another, he's 6'3". And the real clincher: he's human! So one special December, Buddy sets off on a holiday adventure to New York City in quest of his real dad. How Buddy finds his father and the meaning of Christmas is a joyous gift for everyone who loves bright Christmas comedies.
Two talented song-and-dance men (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. One winter, they join forces with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) and trek to Vermont for a white Christmas. The real adventure starts when Crosby and Kaye discover that the inn is run by their old army general who's now in financial trouble, and the result is the stuff dreams are made of.
This year's Christmas Film Sunday at The Palace Theatre is on 6th December 2026.
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events
Christmas Film Sunday at the Palace
Our Christmas Film Sunday is back! So why not start that Christmas spirit off with our selection. Come for the day or just one or two. We look forward to seeing you
Tickets: £11.50
To book please go to Palace Theatre, Southend website.
Palace Theatre, 430 London Road, Westcliff-On-Sea SS0 9LA · 03433100030
White Bus Secret Cinema Club
We are delighted to present the White Bus Secret Cinema Club every Wednesday in our cinema at The Old Waterworks.
These evenings are centred around our huge collection of 16mm and 35mm film. This includes hundreds of documentaries, cartoons and short films as well as over 260 feature films. Every Wednesday we screen a selection of films from the archive, starting at 7pm with an hour or so of documentaries and short films, followed by a feature film. Most of the material is British, with the features ranging in age from the 1930s to the 1990s. All this for a minimum donation of £3 towards our running costs.
These are fun, social events entirely staffed by volunteers who love 'real' film! Tea, coffee and biscuits are available for a nominal amount during the interval.
cult night screenings
Once a month the Alone in the Dark: Over a Century of Stalk and Slash book in conjunction with The White Bus Cinema bring you a double-bill of exploitation, horror, action, and just plain sleaze from around the world. Our Cult Night takes place on one Friday every month (except January and August) bringing you mainstream genre classics alongside rarely seen cult or B-movies unearthed and curated by co-authors Phil Morrison and Haydn Watkins.
Next screening:
Friday 18th September
Friday 16th October
Friday 6th November
Friday 4th December
Doors open at 18:30 at the White Bus cinema with the first film beginning at 19:00. Tickets just £5.
outdoor summer screenings
Sing (2016)
15th August 2026
Dapper Koala Buster Moon presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. An eternal optimist, and a bit of a scoundrel, he loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Facing the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he takes one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition. Five contestants emerge: a mouse, a timid elephant, a pig, a gorilla and a punk-rock porcupine.
Big Screen Southend in conjunction with The White Bus and Visit Southend host FREE summer outdoor cinema screenings outside The Forum in Southend-on-Sea.
These screenings take place on Saturdays throughout August at 15.00. Please bring your own chairs and blankets.
The Forum, Elmer Square, Southend-on-Sea SS1 1NB
relaxed children's screenings
We are pleased to present, in our cinema at The Old Waterworks, film shows for children in a relaxed atmosphere. These allow the opportunity to experience a 'big screen' film show while allowing parents and carers to relax, safe in the knowledge that, if their children are a bit boisterous (or even want to leave halfway through!), it doesn't matter at all.
The screenings are funded by the Council under their Short Breaks initiative and admission is free to children and parents/carers. Soft drinks and tea/coffee are available all at no cost or you are welcome to bring your own food and drink. There's ample parking on site.
Screenings are held one Saturday a month from September to March, excluding December. All films are either 'U' or 'PG' certificate. Classic cartoons are shown for half an hour before the films come on.
Our 2025-2026 season ended in March 2026. Unfortunately, our bid for funding for a new season from September 2026 to March 2027 was unsuccessful. However, we will be putting in a bid for 2027-2028, so watch this space in July-August 2027 for further updates.
The films will be shown at 10.30am and 2pm (doors open at 10.00am and 1.30pm)
For further information or to make a booking contact David Simpson at david@thewhitebus.org.uk or 07754 391163
The White Bus cinema, The Old Waterworks, North Road, Southend-on-Sea SS0 7AB