Director: Jane Giles, Ali Catterall

This history of the London repertory cinema, famous for its eclectic programming, is suitably rambunctious and freewheeling, even if the self-mythologizing is occasionally a bit much.

Formed from a defunct Socialist collective, The Other Cinema, The Scala opened in Fitzrovia in 1978, where manager Stephen Woolley hosted gigs by notorious art combo Throbbing Gristle and Spandau Ballet. In 1981 the operation moved to Kings Cross to a venue where Lou Reed and Iggy Pop had played their first UK gigs. There the anything goes programming, which included arthouse, LBGTQ, cult and exploitation pictures, and anything else they fancied showing, provided a haven and gathering space for the alternative-minded during Thatcher’s reign of terror. The fondly-remembered all-nighters were attended by film devotees as well as club kids from outside central London who could not get home and skint touring bands and comics who used it for a cheap place to kip.

Director Jane Giles was the programme manager at the cinema, while co-director, writer and journalist Ali Catterall was a regular. Consequently there is a lot of reminiscing from ex-staff, many who went on to become filmmakers and performers, that leans towards the self-regarding with much insistence that the Scala denizens were all rebels, junkies, weirdos and outsiders etc. Still, actor Ralph Brown (Danny from ‘Withnail and I), who worked behind the bar at The Scala, provides an amusing anecdote about local drug dealer Barry replete with a priceless Danny-style pay-off. Accounts from ex-punters are also entertaining, particularly an enthusiastic and funny Mark Moore, and the reliably entertaining John Waters whose early pictures played there to a rowdy reception.

The soundtrack from Barry Adamson, along with Martin Pavey’s evocative sound design effectively conjures up the underground wrong-side-of-town vibe, as does graphic designer Luke Insect’s graphics and animation, which wittily nod to some of the more celebrated and notorious pictures that played there.

Illustrations of the some of the documentary’s more colourful vignettes are provided by Viz cartoonist Davey Jones.

Scala is out now. A special screening will take place at the Tyneside Cinema on 9th January with a Q&A with co-director Ali Caterall.