I tried the new Canterbury outdoor cinema and learnt one very valuable lesson

After months of grey skies and rain, sunny summer has finally arrived and I, like so many other Brits, have been looking to find any excuse to be outside. From pub gardens to days at the beach, there are no shortage of opportunities to enjoy the sunshine, and now Kent movie fans can get in on the action too.

Curzon in Canterbury has officially launched an outdoor screen for some open air showings of classic and modern flicks throughout the summer. As a film lover looking to get out of the house as much as possible while it’s not chucking it down for a change, I leapt at the chance to check the screen out for myself and headed there with my partner at the earliest opportunity.

Found at the Riverside development, a newer addition to the city sat along Kingsmead Road, the screen is pretty hard to miss, dominating the central courtyard outside the Curzon cinema. Kitted out with deck chairs and beanbags in the mock-garden seating area, it certainly looked impressive and I was keen to sink into my seat and enjoy the show.

Read more: I tried Kent’s best ice cream shop and the brain freeze was worth it

Read more: Mythically named Kent beach with a convenient cafe and scenic walk

On the night of my visit, Prince’s 1984 classic musical Purple Rain was showing. Despite being a fan of the rock legend and 80’s flicks in general, admittedly I’ve never actually seen Purple Rain - scandalous, I know.

I’ve never been to an outdoor cinema either, so this was going to be a big night of firsts for me. After arriving, I was shown to my seat in the front row, and was immediately very glad that my bean bag was pretty much a recliner, otherwise I would’ve needed a neck brace after staring up at an almost 90 degree angle for two hours.

Thankfully, the squishy chair did actually offer a good amount of neck support and the duration of the runtime really was comfortable. With the film starting at 7pm, both of us were pretty hungry when we arrived, and were delighted that we could still order from the full Curzon menu at the outside screen.

We opted for a goat’s cheese and caramelised onion pizza with a Diet Coke each to wash it down. Being a Curzon, I knew this wouldn’t be the cheapest meal of my life so the £17.97 charge wasn’t a massive shock.

I certainly can’t fault the service because the pizza and our drinks came out incredibly fast and it was a very tasty meal. Though we did clear it off pretty quickly and I could’ve definitely managed a few more slices, so if you’re going around dinner time, you might want to grab a pizza each, if you’ve got the pocket change of course.

Ahead of the movie starting, we were each handed a pair of headphones that looked like the sort they use in aeroplane control towers, which we were told we’d need to wear once our feature presentation began. Just as I finished wiping the final pizza crumbs from my hands the film began, so I popped on my headphones and sank into my chair, only to realise within seconds that I had made a grave error.

I hadn’t brought any sunglasses, and at this time, the sun had sunk down to the left of me, directly at my eye level. For the first 15(ish) minutes of the film, I really only caught about half of what was going on, because my left eye was in a permanent squint, like a mum trying to read a text on her phone.

Thankfully before long, the sun dipped below the buildings to my side and I could fully enjoy the rest of the film. As someone who spends a lot of time with headphones on listening to music, using them for the movie really wasn’t a problem and the extra cushioning around the ear meant I pretty much forgot I was wearing them for the most part.

If you’re not great with keeping headphones on for extended periods of time, there is sound coming from the screen itself, so you won’t need to worry about missing anything if you need to take them off at some point. It really was a refreshing experience to watch a film like this, enjoying the last of the day’s heat and the cooler start to the evening while watching a very entertaining, if just a bit dated, movie.

Another piece of advice I have to give is definitely to bring a jacket just in case, because British weather is unpredictable at the best of times and temperatures can change very rapidly. I was thankful I’d brought an overshirt and it didn’t get too cold, but some summer days start out feeling like you’re in Ibiza in the afternoon and then the Arctic at night, so always best to be prepared.

As the credits began to roll, I was pretty sad that the experience was over and I’d have to leave the comforts of my bean bag, so I think I’ll definitely be making a return visit soon (with my sunnies this time). So, if you decide to give Curzon's new Canterbury screen a go, remember your sunglasses, remember your jackets and make sure you get yourself a good seat.

Full details on the films showing this summer and ticket prices can be found here.

Find out more about things to do in Kent with our free What’s On email HERE.