WALES’ oldest cinema will be going topless later this month.

Movie fans will be watching a free, open air screening of Mamma Mia at the Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr to mark the second year anniversary of its successful take-over by a community group.

For one night only, the town square in front of the historic cinema will be transformed into a 1,000-plus capacity ‘cinema under the stars’.

The show, which gets underway on August 27 at 8.30pm, is expected to attract hundreds of Abba fans.

The event will have special significance to many of the team who run the historic enterprise as Mamma Mia was one of the most popular films ever screened at the 121-year-old cinema.

Cinema manager Ralph Price, who has worked at the cinema for 45 years, said, “The film has special memories for us. The packed audiences would be dancing in the aisles every time we screened it. It was bonkers!”

The screening will also mark a small milestone in Welsh cinema history.

It will probably be the last time anyone in Wales will be able to watch a film on proper old fashioned film.

For one night only staff will be resting their state-of-the-art digital projection system and bringing a vintage 35mm projector out of retirement.

In October 2014 the Market Hall won the UK Cinema of the Year award at the Screen awards in London.

The Market Hall is on the only cinema on the Welsh Bucket List of things to do in Wales before you die.