SINGAPORE - Arthouse cinema The Projector is turning an abandoned Chinese nightclub into a 48-seat cinema, cafe/bar and platform for creative collaboration.

Projector X: Riverside is its inaugural pop-up project at the fourth level of Riverside Point in Merchant Road. It launches on April 30 with a screening of a restored version of the musical comedy Forever Fever (1998), directed by Glen Goei and starring Adrian Pang, Annabelle Francis and Pam Oei.

A statement from The Projector says its pop-ups will be "fun, irreverent and experimental" and urges those interested in visiting to do so before it is taken down in 18 months.

The Projector founder Karen Tan says the project is "an opportunity to create something positive out of a challenging Covid environment that has resulted in the closure of many businesses, in particular nightclubs".

The cinema will feature socially distanced seating located on the former dance floor. Film sound will be piped into Bluetooth headphones instead of a speaker system.

Tickets will be sold in pairs due to social distancing, at $40 a pair or $55 for a pair plus two drinks (cocktail or mocktail) and popcorn. The Projector members enjoy further discounts.

Cinema tickets for Projector X: Riverside can be booked through The Projector's website from April 23 at 5pm.

The former club seating area has been turned into a 50-seater cafe and bar with a view of the Singapore River and Fort Canning Hill.

The space will also be used for collaborations with artists, performers and retailers.

The changing rooms formerly used by hostesses, for example, will be preserved as an art installation with the help of photographer Marc Nair. This would give visitors "a peek into the workings of a girlie disco", according to the statement.