Empire Theatre

Possibly, displaying the last remaining Essoldo sign in the UK (on the adjacent office Essoldo Chambers on the High Street) which had been removed by 2016. Opened as the Empire Theatre of Varieties on 15th December 1913 presenting variety performances on its stage. It was equipped to screen films from its opening. It was designed by architectural firm Chadwick and Watson & Co. of Leeds. It is located on a large corner site on the junction of Westgate & High Street. The facade is in a Classical style faced with white glazed terra-cotta tiles. The bulk of auditorium and stage fly tower are built in brick and are set well behind the front of the building. Seating in the Italian Renaissance style auditorium was provided on Orchestra Stalls, Dress Circle and Gallery (Top Balcony) levels with 4-boxes. The proscenium is 32ft wide. The Dress Circle was located at street level.

It was altered and adapted as a full time cinema on 2nd May 1921, known as the Empire Super Kinema. It was acquired by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) chain in 1929, and was equipped with a Western Electric (WE) sound system. ABC kept it for ten years before selling it to an independent operator Rotherham District Cinemas Ltd. and it was renamed Empire Cinema Theatre, presenting films and variety. The sound sysyem was changed to a British Acoustic (BA) system. By this time it had 1,225 seats and two balconies. It was sold to the Essoldo chain in 1954 and equipped with CinemaScope. It was renamed Essoldo in 1955.

Passed to Classic Cinemas chain in 1972, it was modernised in March 1974 when only the Stalls were retained in the resulting 510-seat cinema. A second screen was added 1978 using the former Gallery, leaving just the Dress Circle unused and sealed. The stage was sealed off and became a snooker club with an entrance through Essoldo Chambers on High Street. Screen 2 seated 314, at the same time screen 1 was reduced in size to 294 seats. Last operated by the Cannon Group, it was renamed Cannon in May 1988 but closed on 22nd February 1990.

It was split as a nightclub in the former Stalls with snooker continuing on the former stage. New entrances to the snooker and nightclub were inserted on the side of the auditorium on Ship Hill, whilst the foyer block and original entrance was separated and converted to other usage. The nightclub went through several names and operators by 2008 Synergy, by 2009 Pop, by 2016 Hub and by 2017 The Amber Lounge which closed with the snooker club in 2024. Unfortunately over the years it has lost most of its original decorative features in the auditorium.

The building was purchased and following a refurbishment, including restoration of original terrazzo floors and marble steps in the entrance foyer and corridors. The battered and badly damaged decorative front of the Gallery has been hidden from view and a false ceiling extending from the underside the the gallery conceals the original ceiling. It reopened as a concert venue named Empire Theatre on 16th November, 2025 with “Soul Rotherham” an all-day Northern Soul dance event.

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

Ken Roe on September 30, 2008 at 10:51 pm

Further details here:
View link

Ken Roe on September 30, 2008 at 10:57 pm

Three photographs of the Classic Cinema:
http://flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/347794508/
http://flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/347794506/
http://flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/347794504/

abcman on October 14, 2008 at 7:28 pm

In the early 1960’s, when still called the Essoldo, one of Rotherham’s amateur operatic societies – The Steel, Peech & Tozer Operatic Society, cleaned all the backstage areas and redecorated the dressing rooms and produced ‘Carousel’ on the Essoldo stage, as they found the new Civic Theatre’s stage too small. I also recall the ‘Jimmy Clitheroe Show’ playing for a week at the Essoldo, bringing live theatre back to the building after many years as a cinema.

Mike_Blakemore on June 13, 2018 at 12:05 pm

ABC Leased the cinema in 1929 for 10 years