Figures showed an increase of over 100% on last January and the highest monthly admissions in the Wolverhampton cinema’s 28 year history. This is partly down to a strong set of films for the month, ranging from Mary Poppins Returns, which opened in December, through to Stan and Ollie, which exceeded all expectations with sell out screenings over a two week period. A return of Bohemian Rhapsody demonstrated the bio-pic’s continued appeal and Oscar-tipped The Favourite, starring Olivia Colman as Queen Anne, encouraged more full houses.

As a consequence, takings in the cinema’s cafe bar Lock Works were also at a record high.

The cinema, based in The Chubb Buildings, launched a Save Light House campaign last summer following statements from the management team that closure could be imminent. With media coverage and public support, admissions and donations have increased, however the charity venue’s position is still far from secure.

Reporting to trustees this week, Cinema and Operations manager Jas Kapur said,“Audiences are choosing Light House not just because of the current films, but because of its welcome and community feel. They enjoy seeing an exhibition by local artists before a film and enjoy taking a glass of wine in with them. If we could keep admissions like this each month, we would be able to feel confident about our future here in the city.”