The Rex Cinema

Originally the Wareham Oddfellows Hall and built in 1889, it provided various entertainments such as travelling theatre shows, banquets and concerts. It is likely that visiting Bioscope shows were presented here at the turn of the 20th century. The cinema opened in the building in 1920 and it then named the Empire Theatre. After renovation in 1963 it was renamed as The Rex. In 1987 the running of the cinema was taken over by a group of enthusiastic local people who formed Rex Wareham Ltd. This lasted until 2009 when The Rex was acquired by the Purbeck Film Charitable Trust, and it became a not-for profit cinema run almost entirely by our dedicated volunteers. The frontage is a nice blend of brick with decorative limestone door and window surrounds. It is listed Grade II.