Empire Theatre

Ripley & Heanor News, 14 Mar 2003: Built in 1911, in its heyday it was fully equipped as a theatre to seat 733. In its early years, famous artists trod the boards included Gracie Fields, Arthur Tracy, Sandy Powell and Jack Warner. Charity concerts were regularly staged and during the 1920s and 30s, Heanor Operatic Society presented Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. The first ‘talkie’ film to be shown at the Empire was ‘The Singing Fool’ in August 1930 and from then on the building became a cinema showing films rather than live performances. Several factors contributed to the decline of cinemas in the 1970s and 80s particularly competition from television. It finally closed in 1983 and the building was boarded up until its demolition six years later.