Empire Theatre of Varieties
| 1884: Empire Theatre 1887: Empire Theatre of Varieties |
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Empire, Leicester Square, in 2007
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| Address |
Leicester Square London, WC2 United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 51°30′39″N 0°07′49″W / 51.510833°N 0.130278°W |
| Public transit |
 Leicester Square
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| Owner | Cineworld |
| Capacity | 2,000 in 1884 3,000 in 1927 1,330 in 1962 1,746 today |
| Current use | Première cinema |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 17 April 1884 |
| Rebuilt | 1893: Frank Verity 1928: Thomas Lamb 1962: George Coles 2014: UNICK Architects |
| Years active | 1884–1927 as theatre 1928–present as cinema |
| Architect | Thomas Verity, Thomas Lamb |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Empire, Leicester Square is a cinema currently operated by Cineworld on the north side of Leicester Square, London.
The Empire was originally built in 1884 as a variety theatre and was rebuilt for films in the 1920s. It is one of several cinemas in and adjoining Leicester Square which are regularly used for film premières and first runs.
The Empire Theatre opened on 17 April 1884 under the ownership of Daniel Nicols as a West End variety theatre on Leicester Square, as well as a ballet venue, with a capacity of about 2,000 seats. The first performance was Chilpéric, with music by Hervé, adapted by H. Hersee and H.B. Farnie and described as a Grand Musical Spectacular, in three acts and seven tableaux. The corps de ballet for the performance was 50 strong.Edward Solomon and Sydney Grundy premièred their comic opera, Pocahontas or The Great White Pearl, another Solomon opera, Polly or The Pet of the Regiment transferred here, and his Billee Taylor was revived here, all in 1884. Kate Vaughan starred in Around the World in 80 Days at the theatre in 1886. Hervé premièred his Diana (1888) and Cleopatra (1889) at the theatre.
In 1887, the theatre reopened as a popular music hall named the Empire Theatre of Varieties. From 1887 to 1915, the designer C. Wilhelm created both scenery and costumes for (and sometimes produced) numerous ballets at the theatre, which established a fashion for stage design and were much imitated.George Edwardes managed the theatre around the start of the 20th century. The dancer Adeline Genée and the theatre's ballet company, working under composer-director Leopold Wenzel, did much to revive the moribund art of ballet in Britain, which had declined in the 19th century.
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