Taken at the Empire in July 1951, the photo shows from left to right: Harry Metcalfe the manager, Tommy Trinder, Jack Radcliffe and Norman Evans (Over the Garden Wall)
HHT&N 151
Date (of image) : 0/7/1951
Part of the "Douglas Ferriday" collection
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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