View source for Liverpool Empire Theatre

{{Short description|Theatre in Liverpool, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox building
|name               = Liverpool Empire Theatre
|former_names       = 
|status             = 
|image              = Empire Theatre, Liverpool 2018.jpg
|image_alt          = 
|caption            = The Empire Theatre in 2018
|map_type           = Merseyside
|map_caption        = Location in Liverpool
|building_type      = Theatre
|architectural_style= [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]]
|structural_system  = Steel frame
|client             = [[Moss Empires]]
|owner              = [[Ambassador Theatre Group]]
|current_tenants    = 
|landlord           = 
|location           = 
|address            = [[Lime Street, Liverpool|Lime Street]]
|location_town      = [[Liverpool]], England
|coordinates        = {{coord|53.4089|-2.9781|display=inline,title}}
|groundbreaking_date= 1924
|start_date         = 
|completion_date    = 1925
|opened_date        = 9 March 1925
|renovation_date    = 1977, 1999
|demolition_date    = 
|destruction_date   = 
|height             = 
|roof               = 
|top_floor          = 
|floor_count        = 
|floor_area         = 
|seating_type       = 
|seating_capacity   = 2,348
|elevator_count     = 
|architecture_firm  = W. and T. R. Milburn
| website =  [http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire/ Official Website]
}}

The '''Liverpool Empire Theatre''' is a [[Theater (building)|theatre]] on the corner of [[Lime Street, Liverpool|Lime Street]] in [[Liverpool]], England. The playhouse, which opened in 1925, is the second one to be built on the site. It has the largest two-tier auditorium in the United Kingdom and can seat 2,348 people.<ref>[http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/1922-empire-liverpool "Empire (Liverpool)"], ''The Theatres Trust'', retrieved 24 November 2012</ref>

==History==
The site's first theatre, which at that time was Liverpool's largest, was named the "New Prince of Wales Theatre and Opera House" opened on 15 October 1866. On 29 July 1867 its name was changed to the "Royal Alexandra Theatre and Opera House" in honour of [[Alexandra of Denmark|Princess Alexandra, Princess of Wales]].<ref name=pye/> In 1894, the playhouse closed but was re-opened the following year under the ownership of Empire Theatre (Liverpool) Ltd. In 1896 the theatre was sold to Messrs. Moss and Thornton for £30,000 ({{Inflation|UK|30000|1896|r=-4|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}),{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y|mode=cs2}} and renamed "The Empire".<ref name=bbc>{{Citation|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/localhistory/journey/lime_street/empire_theatre/theatre.shtml|title=The Empire Theatre - The History|access-date=4 August 2011|publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> It closed for the final time on 16 February 1924, and was demolished.<ref name=pye/>

The current Liverpool Empire Theatre opened on 9 March 1925.<ref name=pye/> In 1977 the theatre was still owned by [[Moss Empires]], who were making plans to dispose of it. Two years later it was acquired by [[Merseyside County Council]]. During the following two years a total of £680,000 was spent on improving the back stage facilities, and extending the stage and orchestra pit.<ref name=bbc/> The theatre underwent a further major refurbishment in 1999; this included increasing the size of the stage and improving the facilities for the audience.<ref name=pye>{{Citation|last=Pye|first=Ken|year=2011|title=Discover Liverpool|publication-place=Liverpool|publisher=Trinity Mirror Media|pages=16–17|isbn=978-1-906802-90-5}}</ref> By 2002 the theatre was owned by [[Live Nation|Clear Channel Entertainment]].<ref name=bbc/> In that year an extension was built on the north side of the building.<ref name=pev>{{Citation|last1=Pollard|first1=Richard|last2=Pevsner|first2=Nikolaus|author2-link=Nikolaus Pevsner|series=The Buildings of England|title=Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|year=2006|location=New Haven and London|page=326|isbn=0-300-10910-5 }}</ref>

==Architecture==

===Exterior===
The theatre was designed by W.&nbsp;and T.&nbsp;R.&nbsp;Milburn for Moss Empires; the carving and the ornamentation in the auditorium were carried out by E.&nbsp;O.&nbsp;Griffiths. The building is constructed on a steel frame, with a [[Portland stone]] façade and brick elsewhere. The architectural style of the façade is free [[neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]]. The front of the theatre is in five [[bay (architecture)|bays]], the central three of which have an attic rising above the two lateral bays. The ground floor of the central bays contains the entrance doors and over them is a steel [[Canopy (building)|canopy]] decorated with medallions and [[guilloché]] bands. The storey above ground level contains the balcony, with single and paired [[ionic order|Ionic]] columns, between which are recessed windows. Over this is a [[dentil]]led [[cornice]] and the attic. In the first floor of the side bays there are windows in [[architrave]]s that are flanked by shallow [[pilaster]]s above which is a plain [[parapet]].<ref name=nhl/>

===Interior===
The entrance foyer is on the ground level, with stairs to the balcony on both sides of the foyer. The seats are raked both to the sides and to the rear in order to improve the lines of sight. The internal decoration is in [[Neoclassicism#In architecture and in the decorative and visual arts|Louis XVI style]]. It contains "many curious decorative features including carved elephant [[caryatid]]s".<ref name=nhl/>

===Conservation===
The theatre was listed in the [[National Heritage List for England]] as a Grade&nbsp;II [[Listed building#England and Wales|listed building]] on 16 October 1990.<ref name=nhl>{{National Heritage List for England |num= 1252934|desc= The Empire Theatre, Liverpool|access-date= 20 August 2013|mode=cs2}}</ref> When it was opened its design was considered advanced, owing to the raked seating layout.<ref name=nhl/> There are 2,350 seats, Britain's largest two-tier auditorium.<ref name=pye/> It is sited in the William Brown Street Conservation Area.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.liverpoolworldheritage.com/visitingthewhs/areas/williambrownstreet/index.asp|title=William Brown St Conservation Area|access-date=4 August 2011|publisher=[[Liverpool City Council]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726211824/http://www.liverpoolworldheritage.com/visitingthewhs/areas/williambrownstreet/index.asp|archive-date=26 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Past performances===
Performers in the original theatre included [[George Formby Sr.]], [[Harry Tate]], [[Dan Leno]], [[Florrie Forde]], The Two Bobs, and [[Wilson, Keppel and Betty]]. The first production in the present theatre was ''Better Days'', starring [[Stanley Lupino]], [[Maisie Gay]] and Ruth French.<ref name=pye/> Subsequent performers have included [[Fred Astaire]] and his sister [[Adele Astaire]], [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Judy Garland]], [[Bing Crosby]], [[Mae West]], [[Laurel and Hardy]], [[Roy Rogers]] and [[Trigger (horse)|Trigger]], [[Charlton Heston]], [[Sarah Bernhardt]], [[Henry Irving]], [[Vesta Tilley]], and [[Arthur Askey]].<ref name=pye/><ref name=prog>{{Citation|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/localhistory/journey/lime_street/empire_theatre/programmes.shtml|title=An invite to a night at the Empire...|access-date=4 August 2011|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

In 1957, a local pop group called [[The Quarrymen]] appeared at the theatre. They returned in 1959, having changed their name to "Johnny and the Moondogs". They returned to the Empire again in 1962, now named [[The Beatles]].<ref name="pye" /> The Beatles played the Empire for the last time on 5 December 1965.<ref name="bbc" /> 

[[The Rolling Stones]] performed at the Empire Theatre with [[Ike & Tina Turner]] and [[The Yardbirds]] on 25 September 1966.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jeffery |first=Sydney |date=1966-09-16 |title=Theatre Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-daily-post-merseyside-ed-th/140011190/ |access-date=2024-02-01 |work=Liverpool Daily Post (Merseyside ed.) |pages=14}}</ref>

During the 1970s, two [[Royal Command Performance]]s were held in the Empire,<ref name="prog" /> and in 2007 the theatre was the venue for the [[Royal Variety Performance]] in recognition of Liverpool being made the [[European Capital of Culture]] the following year.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.eabf.org.uk/royal-variety-performance/archive/2000s/2007|title=2007, Liverpool Empire|access-date=4 August 2011|publisher=[[Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705195210/http://www.eabf.org.uk/royal-variety-performance/archive/2000s/2007|archive-date=5 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Singers and musicians who performed at the venue include [[Johnny Mathis]], [[The Carpenters]], [[Neil Sedaka]], [[The Osmonds]], [[Tommy Steel]], [[Adam Faith]], [[Bruce Forsyth]], [[Victoria Wood]], [[Morecambe and Wise]], [[Ken Dodd]], [[Shirley Bassey]], [[Kylie Minogue]], [[Kate Bush]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/kate-bush-liverpool-empire-1979-7672666 | title=Flashback: Kate Bush at the Liverpool Empire, April 1979 | date=26 August 2014 }}</ref>  [[Elton John]], [[Cilla Black]], [[AC/DC]], [[Aerosmith]], [[Chuck Berry]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Black Sabbath]], [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]], Rush, [[Wishbone Ash]], The Police, [[Queen (band)|Queen]], Santana, [[Iron Maiden]], Genesis, Steve Hillage, [[Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel]] (the band's 1976 concert at the theatre is frequently alluded to by [[Steve Harley]] when he plays concerts in the [[North of England]], since, during the extended instrumental in his song 'Death Trip' (track 10 of 1973's '[[The Human Menagerie]]' album), he fell off the stage and into the orchestra pit, but continued performing as though nothing had happened, despite breaking 3 ribs and as a result having to cancel the rest of the tour).{{cn|date=November 2023}}

==Present day==
The Empire Theatre continues to stage productions in various genres, including musicals, pop concerts, comedians, plays, opera, and wrestling.<ref name=emp>{{Citation|url=http://www.liverpoolempire.org.uk/whatson.asp?ProductionTitle=&VenueID=99&intPage=2&PageSize=50&page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007210933/http://www.liverpoolempire.org.uk/whatson.asp?ProductionTitle=&VenueID=99&intPage=2&PageSize=50&page=2|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 October 2011|title=What's On|access-date=4 August 2011|publisher=[[Ambassador Theatre Group]]}}</ref> The theatre is reputed to be haunted by at least two ghosts, one a former painter at the theatre called Len, the other a girl aged about nine or ten in [[Victorian fashion|Victorian]] dress.<ref name=pye/> As of 2011 the Empire is part of the [[Ambassador Theatre Group]] (ATG).<ref name=emp/>

Each year a musical is produced at the theatre performed by participants in Stage Experience, a two-week summer school in which local youngsters take part in performing a full-scale musical with a professional team. This began in 2007 with ''[[Summer Holiday (1963 film)#Stage adaptations|Summer Holiday]]'', followed by ''[[The Wiz]]'' in 2008, ''[[Bugsy Malone]]'' in 2009, ''[[Fame (musical)|Fame]]'' in 2010, ''[[West Side Story]]'' in 2011, ''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]'' in 2012, ''[[Grease (musical)|Grease]]'' in 2013, ''[[Cats (musical)|Cats]] in 2014'', and ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]'' in 2019.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire/ Theatre website]

{{ATGVenues}}
{{Liverpool B&S}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1925 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Music venues in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Theatres in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Theatres completed in 1925]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Alexandra of Denmark]]