Celebrate Dolly Parton with Steel Magnolias at Rooftop Cinema Club London
Following the death of Dolly Parton, Rooftop Cinema Club is screening one of her best-loved films, Steel Magnolias, on its Stratford and Peckham rooftops this September.
Steel Magnolias, the much-loved story of friendship, family and the women whose lives revolve around a small-town Louisiana beauty salon, is heading to the big screen at both of Rooftop Cinema Club’s London locations.
And, of course, there’s Dolly.
Playing salon owner Truvy Jones alongside an incredible cast including Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton brought her trademark warmth and humour to a film that can make you laugh one minute and completely break your heart the next.
If you’ve never watched Steel Magnolias, this feels like a pretty special place to see it for the first time. And if you already know every trip to Truvy’s salon by heart? Even better.
In Dolly’s spirit of giving, 10% of all ticket sales will benefit The Dollywood Foundation in support of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Where: Bussey Rooftop, Peckham
When: Saturday, 5th (Stratford), 12th (Peckham) September, 2:00pm
Price: Tickets from £14
Steel Magnolias at Rooftop Cinema Club
There are two London screenings to choose from this September:
Stratford
Saturday 5 September at 2:15pm
Peckham
Saturday 12 September at 2pm
Both screenings take the film out of the traditional cinema and onto the rooftop, with wireless headphones and views across London as part of the experience.
So the only real question is: east or south?
Why Steel Magnolias is so special
There are plenty of films you could choose for a Dolly Parton screening, but Steel Magnolias feels particularly fitting.
At its heart, it’s about female friendship: women showing up for one another through relationships, motherhood, arguments, illness, grief and all the ordinary moments in between.
Truvy’s salon isn’t simply somewhere people go to get their hair done. It’s where these women talk, laugh, gossip, disagree and support one another.
More than three decades later, that sense of women finding community with other women still feels remarkably familiar.
Watching it with a friend, on a rooftop overlooking London, feels like a pretty good way to celebrate that. And Dolly, of course.
Rooftop Cinema Club Stratford
Over in East London, Rooftop Cinema Club Stratford offers a rather different view of the city.
The rooftop looks out across the East London skyline and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, making it an easy one to turn into more than just a cinema trip.
Arrive early, and you could explore the Olympic Park, wander along the waterways or grab something to eat around Stratford before heading upstairs for the film.
The Stratford screening of Steel Magnolias takes place at 2:15pm on Saturday 5 September, with doors opening at 1:45pm.
And because it’s an afternoon screening, you’ve still got the rest of Saturday afterwards.
Rooftop Cinema Club Peckham
For South London views, head to Rooftop Cinema Club Peckham on top of the Bussey Building on Rye Lane.
Peckham has long been one of London’s best areas for making an afternoon turn into an evening without particularly planning to. You’ve got cafés, restaurants, bars and plenty happening around Rye Lane, while the rooftop itself gives you panoramic views across the South London skyline.
Steel Magnolias screens here at 2pm on Saturday 12 September, with doors opening at 1:30pm.
That makes this another particularly good option for a Saturday with friends: movie first, Peckham afterwards.
Rooftop Cinema Club London
Rooftop Cinema Club operates two London venues — Stratford and Peckham — with a programme that mixes cult classics, romantic favourites, newer releases and special events.
Instead of traditional cinema seats and speakers, the outdoor screenings come with wireless headphones, while the London skyline provides the backdrop.
Films continue into the autumn, so even if Steel Magnolias isn’t the one for you, it’s worth checking the programme for another excuse to watch a film under the London sky.
Top Tip:
Make a day of it.
Steel Magnolias is about female friendship, so why not get your friends together to catch up and make it a special get-together.
Both Stratford and Peckham in London have plenty going on. So, don’t just turn up for the film and head straight home. You can also turn up early to grab a drink and some popcorn before settling into the film to honour Dolly.
