In 1967, the Empire Theatre in Lynn St was boarded up awaiting demolition although it was some years before this happened. This image shows the Gallery entrance on the corner of Lynn St and Freeman St.
Date (of image) : 1967
Donor : Hartlepool Museum Service
Creator : NDM
Location
The Empire Theatre opened in Lynn Street in 1909 with 2000 seats and for a number of years proved very popular. By the early 1950s, audience numbers were dwindling rapidly and in 1956, it was owned by the Essoldo Cinema Group and became a cinemascope cinema although the Essoldo cinema itself was in York Road. The gallery and balcony were closed at this time. In August 1959, it was closed as a cinema and the last theatre production was in November 1959 and was the West Hartlepool Operatic and Dramatic Society's production of Carousel. Proving economically unviable, in 1961 the building was turned into a Bingo Hall. However, its location and increased competition from a number of other Bingo Halls saw it close in 1964.
It was finally demolished in 1975.
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