Paranormal UK

Empire Theatre Sunderland

History

The Sunderland Empire was founded on the 29th September
1906 by a Vesta Tilley and was the mastermind of two
contemporary heads of British theatre, Edward Moss and
Osward Stoll. It was a third man however, Richard Thornton,
who was famous for his partnership with the two as he came
from a poor background and reached great success by
climbing the theatrical ladder.

The Sunderland Empire has changed considerably since 1907.
Originally, the domed tower was surmounted with a revolving
sphere which bore the figure of “Terpischore” the Greek
Goddess of dance, not as is commonly thought, Vesta Tilley.
There were many main entrances to the theatre, each of
which had their own payboxes – little arched hatches in the
walls where you brought your ticket and then, having gone
through a tiny entrance in single file, you were able to
take your seats. Incidentally, these doors can still be
seen on the outside of the theatre. After the depression of
the twenties, a revival came to theatre during the late
1930′s. By the outbreak of war, theatre was back on its
feet with summer rep at the Sunderland Empire keeping the
place open even during its normally “dark” months. During
the war, a bomb exploded near the Sunderland Empire, badly
rocking it. As a safety precaution, the globe and the
statue of “Terpsichore” were removed. The original statue
can now be seen at the head of the main staircase. A
replica stands at the top of the spectacular dome.

However with the onset of movie theatres and television the
theatre suffered financial hardships and closed in the
fifties but re-opened under civic control in 1960. Since
its re-opening the theatre has changed from a cinema to a
function room and has been extensively redecorated and
refurbished and is now home to a dance studio and bar.

Activity

A carry on film legend is said to haunt this old theatre,
Sid James, who famously suffered a heart attack during a
performance on the opening night of The Mating Season on
the 26th April 1976 and died on the way to hospital. It is
said that his ghost now haunts the dressing room he used on
the night on his death. Les Dawson, during a gig at the
theatre, refused to play at the venue again after
experiencing ghostly activity. It is also said that Vesta
Tilley and Molly Moselle haunt the front of house areas.
Molly was once a stage manager for Ivor Novello’s The
Dancing Years in 1949 but upon leaving the theatre to
purchase a birthday card, she disappeared down a nearby
alley and was never seen again.

A bit of humor...
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