A HOLLYWOOD screenwriter has become the first patron of Gloucestershire's newest community cinema.

Catherine Johnson, who worked on summer smash hit Mamma Mia!, has pledged her support to the Electric Picture House in Wotton-under-Edge.

Volunteers at the cinema, which is run by shareholders and volunteers as a social enterprise, are celebrating Ms Johnson's enrolment as an associate member.

Ms Johnson grew up in Wickwar near Wotton-under-Edge and attended Katherine Lady Berkeley's school in Wotton.

As a girl she used to visit the picture house, when it was known as the Town Cinema, to see the latest films.

More recently she went to see the film version of Mamma Mia! at the Wotton Electric Picture House with her family.

Picture House spokesman Jeff Walshe said everyone was delighted Ms Johnson had also agreed to join and to become patron.

He said: "Together we hope to be able to further the principles on which the Picture House operates by helping other groups in the community benefit from its success.

"We have had an exceptional attendance this summer and we plan to build on this next year.

"There is a long list of great films coming up and hope that we can attract more and more visitors, some of whom might be lucky enough to meet our new patron either volunteering in the box office or firing up the digital projector."

Mamma Mia! has been playing to packed houses at almost every show at the Picture House, which has booked extra slots to cope with the numbers.

The run ends on October 18 with a ticket-only Mamma Mia! party night and the launch of its latest calendar called Making a Difference – a tribute to more than 100 local organisations run by volunteers.

The Wotton Electric Picture House ultimately aims is to raise more funds for other community projects.