Showcase Cinemas

I must say, I was very surprised with my most recent visit. I always avoided this theater, but they’ve put in a massive effort to improve over the past two years, and it shows.
I would have previously agreed with the one– and two-​star reviews; in fact, I’ve even driven all the way to Northampton to see a movie in order to avoid this place. However, after my most recent visit to see Spectre, I was pleasantly surprised. They’ve added a restaurant/​bar area with beer and wine to the lobby, which is a nice touch. They’ve also added the premium «XLR» seating to the theaters, giving more legroom, wider seats, and a bit of recline for those desiring a more comfortable movie-​watching experience. Most importantly, though, they’ve completely remodeled the bathrooms. The old bathrooms, with their sticky floors, running faucets, and various broken pieces, were the most unpleasant element of a movie here. Now, they’re beautifully remodeled with new everything. Wood paneling, tile, new toilets, urinals, and sinks; everything.
It’s not a particularly memorable experience, but it at least pleasant now. They’ve stepped up their game and are definitely worth another shot if you’re in the Peterborough area!

I find the showcase cinema a great place for friends and family to relax, the staff are friendly and it has good food and drink, however expensive.
Overall the cinema is very clean and has a friendly atmosphere, it shows all the latest movies. Overall I highly recommend this cinema.

RUBBISH CINEMA AND COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY… Very overpriced, staff lazy and lacking any common sense and the manager absolutely oblivious on how to run a cinema as he would rather stand there having a chinwag with 2 staff members than open more tills when approx. 50 people in a queue, then cinema is very dirty with some strange smells and floors sticky and nasty… I guess when you are the only cinema you can be blasé about good customer service but what I cannot understand is why Cineworld, The light or The Luxe don’t open in Peterborough as they would be a complete success as everyone is know would NEVER step foot in Showcase ever again… DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TIME AND GO ELSEWHERE OR WAIT AND WATCH MOVIE ON DVD BUT DO NOT GO SHOWCASE PETERBROUGH. You have been advised.

Needs a rethink.
We tend to go down the road 20 mins to the cinema at Huntingdon instead as it’s so much nicer.
Showcase is very 80s/​early 90s in it’s feel. The prices keep creeping up, but the place keeps becoming more rundown. The car park isn’t particularly safe and there is often glass on the floor.
Does show all the latest films and has 3d and normal showings. It’s fine if you want to see a film, but I’d recommend huntingdon if you want a nicer experience

badly in need of a refurbishment which they are apparently in the middle of, some screens now have new seating but have been told they still arent tiered like you get at huntingdon cineworld which i think is ridiculousguess will just have to see when i go next, i may be wrong. they have also upgraded most of the screens now. still needs to be re-​decorated though as looks a bit old and shabby now. they do have alot of screenings though and is always busy but i do go to cineworld for the big movies i really want to see in comfort!

Good parking, good location and that’s where the compliments end. Many people who live in Peterborough travel to Huntingdon just to go to the cinema, which says it all really.

The Showcase is old, outdated and unattractive. the air conditioning is always far to cold and the seats are either broken or filthy, the staff are unfriendly and you can hear other films through the walls of the theatre you are in. it is not easily accesable to people without cars and not worth the effort to get there.

The Showcase Cinema wins the award for being the worst cinema in Peterborough, which isn’t surprising as it’s the only cinema in Peterborough. Based on that I would normally suggest it’s also the best cinema, but it really isn’t. Watching a TV playing through the window of Hughes is a better cinema experience than the Showcase.
I’m pretty sure the seats haven’t been refurbished since the place opened and it shows. I watched Batman at the Showcase in the 80s and I think there may still be some of my dropped popcorn between the seats.
The foyer used to have a wide range of exciting arcade games for a youngster to waste his pocket money on, but the few machines left seem tired or uninteresting. Food and drinks are typically expensive, which is the same across the country but with nothing else to save the Showcase, just adds insult to injury.
The Showcase has played on it being the only cinema in the city for far too long and a lot of people prefer to travel to Huntingdon’s Cineworld (myself included).
Avoid.

In need of a refurb. Seating is terrible and the place looks so out dated.
Car parking has plenty of places and the cinema has a fair few screens so always able to catch films, even when busy.

good place to go watch films with friends/​family or even your partner for a date.

Nothing wrong with this cinema. It has latest films, it’s clean and there’s good parking. I’ve never had my car broken into in all the times I’ve been in the last 20 years.
It’s a cinema chain, so it’s full of popcorn, drinks and sweets (all over-​priced), but almost every cinema is the same. I think it’s pretty clean. You get the odd sticky patch under your feet, but that’s down to chavs slurping cola while they watch the movie. Don’t know what you can do about that, no cinemas clean the auditoria between shows.

Update: I’ve been to the showcase a number of times since my original review and I have to say it has improved. Some of the screen rooms have been refurbed with new, better positioned seats, while all screens have digital projectors offering crisper pictures. It was also clean each time. The décor could still do with an update and I still prefer cineworld, but the quality gap isn’t so big anymore. This cinema is truly awful. Since it’s not easy to walk to, you’re much better off driving to cineworld at Huntingdon. A far better experience. Shame really if only the showcase was given an update, cleaned up and the screen rooms refurbished then it would be fine.

It’s a shame this is the only cinema within a sensible distance of my house as it is really outdated and shabby. Tickets are expensive considering the condition of the theatres which have seats that squeak and have damaged and dirty upholstery. There is a decent amount of parking and lots of screen so there is usually a good choice of films but there are not enough tills or staff to cope when popular new films open. Food is ridiculously over priced and the hot stuff is rarely actually hot so I have given up and take my own now or go to McDonalds/​Pizza Hut instead. There are security staff in the carpark now which has made a difference to the amount of car break ins there used to be which is really the only improvement that has been made to the site in years.

This Showcase is beginning to look a bit tatty and frayed around the edges. Location wise, it’s on the edge of the city centre, so you have to drive here. It’s not easy to walk here.
Inside it’s bright and glitzy and the usual array of over priced popcorn, soda and sweets are available.
As it is a multiplex, some screens are invariably larger than others. You can check what is playing on what screen when you arrive. Sitting in one of the smaller screens, I could clearly notice the sound of gunfire coming from an adjoining screen from another movie that was playing. Obviously the soundproffing is not too good.
Overall it’s OK, there is not any nearby competition in Peterborough, so you are sort of stuck unless you want to drive. £5.75 for an adult is about as much I would want to pay to watch a film here.

Run of the mill showcase needs some refurbishment.
But what got my goat here was the car park, which seemed to function as a boy racer hang out and circuit. But what can they do about it i hear you say! well the have security on the car park, but what were they doing, they were stood with the racers laughing and chatting and having a fag, while watching them do wheel spins and come far to close to the parked cars of the people actually paying to use the place.
Wont be going there again, as i really dont want to have to feel threatened or see my car get wiped out by some little wanna be racer in a 1.2 corsa with the exhaust from appolo 13 on it!

Its old and delapadated, its uncomfortable the food is an absolute rip off. Still we have to go here as there is no other cinema that you can just pop in to watch a film.

This place hasn’t changed in years. It never seems to get a makeover and is now looking very, very tired. However, parking is usually easy. The theatres themselves are comfortableif a little squeaky at times. The cinema is very easy to get to as its located near one of the main routes. And if i do want to see a film then ths is where I always end up going. Food is expensive and we usually limit what we have, bring in our own, or more usually eat elsewhere once we’ve seen the film.

Unless the Broadway theatre are showing a particular film the Showcase Cinema is Peterboroughs only picture house.
Its in the Fengate area and is a good size with a decent sized car park. A word of warning here, a few years ago I had my car broken into here at least 3 times in as many visits! These days they appear to have security men wandering around and I must admit Ive not had any problems recently. When you walk in there are always huge queues to buy your tickets when there is a popular new release, so it is advisable to perhaps purchase your tickets online although it costs a little more or to visit earlier in the day to purchase them. There are the usual foods that you can purchase at over inflated prices so although you shouldnt take your own food and drink I often pack a bag for my daughter. The theatres are comfortable if a little outdated. The best time to visit is the famous ‘orange’ wednesdays when you can view a film 2 for the price of 1 or its a little cheaoer early in the afternoon. Enjoy the film !!