Description: Showing the Empire Theatre on the left. The Empire Theatre of Varieties opened alongside in 1898 on the site of the Theatre Royal's old dressing rooms. Backstage facilities were so closely interwoven that it was not unknown for an actor to leave his dressing room and end up on the wrong stage! The Empire lasted 60 glorious, racy years showing risque comics, saucy ladies, mind-boggling magicians and rock 'n' roll stars, with huge billings including Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. However, it closed in 1958, and was demolished in 1969.