The Empire Theatre (Penge) (1913 - 1949)
Dates
- Existence: 1913 - 1949
Biography
The Empire Theatre in Penge, south east London was designed by W. G. R Sprague in 1913, but didn’t open until 1915 due to the outbreak of World War One. The Empire offered a combination of variety acts and pantomime until 1928 when it introduced moving picture projections to its programme.
In 1947, the Theatre was bought by Reginald Salberg who continued presenting the same type of spectacle as his predecessors. In 1949, however, the theatre was bought by Essoldo Cinemas, who turned it into the Empire Cinema, later known as The Essoldo. The Essoldo continued operating as a full time cinema until 1960 when it was closed down and later demolished.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Handby Celeine Collection
Posters, photographs, programmes, 1 piece of sheet music for six instruments and a small amount of business records and correspondence relating to the dancing and burlesque comedy on skates.