Empire Theatre

The Empire Theatre stands in Burnley, Lancashire, on the site of a former spinning mill. It was built in 1894 as a variety hall and designed by local architect George Birkbeck Rawcliffe, who included an unusual double-helix staircase. The building is now Grade II listed but remains in a dilapidated state under the care of the Burnley Empire Trust. Since 2006 it has been on the Theatre Trust’s at-risk register, marking it as one of the last surviving purpose-built variety halls in Lancashire’s former cotton towns. The theatre’s history includes a major rebuild in 1911 by celebrated architect William Robert ‘Bertie’ Crewe, who also designed the Paris Alhambra and the Shaftsbury Theatre. At its peak it seated 2,100 people and featured ornate classical plasterwork still visible today. It later served as a cinema from 1938 to 1970, then became a bingo hall before closing in 1995. The Burnley Empire Trust, formed in 2018, now works to restore the building with support from organisations like Theatres Trust and the National Trust. Visitors can still see the theatre’s grand staircase and classical plasterwork despite its current condition. The building has hosted legendary performers, including Harry Houdini, who escaped from police handcuffs here in 1902 to advertise his show. Charlie Chaplin made his first stage appearance here as an unknown young man, and Margot Fonteyn and Gracie Fields also performed on its stage. Today, the theatre occasionally hosts events like the Milltown Brothers’ photo shoot, keeping its legacy alive.