The Picturehouse was built in 1923 for the local community by Ranee Margaret of Sarawak, a passionate supporter of the arts.

It quickly became a popular part of village life. In its earliest years, audiences watched silent films accompanied by a pianist, before the arrival of the ‘talkies’ brought sound to the screen.

For decades, the Picturehouse brought film and entertainment to the heart of Sunninghill and became a much-loved part of the High Street.

As cinema-going changed, the building entered a new chapter. It later became home to a local theatre group and was renamed the Novello, the name that has been familiar above its doors for the past two decades.

In recent years, the theatre has stood largely unused, waiting for its next chapter.