The Screen on the Green
The Screen on the Green, also known as Everyman Screen On The Green, is a single-screen cinema on Islington Green in London. It opened in 1913 as the Empress Electric Theatre, built by the Pesaresi brothers with finance from Thomas Harrold. Designed by Boreham & Gladding, it seated 600 on one floor and was later renamed The Rex after a refurbishment.
In 1970 the Rex closed and reopened on 13 September 1970 as The Screen on the Green after being bought by Romaine Hart’s Mainline Pictures Group. It was modernised in 1981 by architect Fletcher Priest, creating a foyer and reducing seating to about 300. It belonged to the independent Screen Cinemas circuit.
In 2008 the circuit was sold to Everyman Cinemas, and a major refurbishment in 2009 added a full-size bar within the auditorium and later a stage for live events. The Screen on the Green is famous for its Midnight Special on 29 August 1976, when the Clash and Buzzcocks supported the Sex Pistols, one of the earliest recorded live Sex Pistols performances. It was also the site of Sid Vicious’s first appearance with the Sex Pistols in 1977.
Romaine Hart died in 2021. As of 2025, the cinema operates under the Everyman banner as Everyman Screen on the Green.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:36 (CET).