Vesta Tilley laid the foundation stone of what is now the Sunderland Empire on 29 September 1906 and took to the stage on 1 July 1907 to officially declare the theatre open. 

The Theatre was masterminded by two of the contemporary heads of British theatre, Edward Moss and Osward Stoll, but it was a third man, Richard Thornton, who bears far greater significance to the Sunderland Empire. Thornton, originally from South Shields, came from the lowly beginnings of a busker on Marsden sea front and went on to become the manager of a run down music hall in Union Street, South Shields. Thornton generated enough capital from this venture to rapidly climb the theatrical ladder and so on his re-location to Sunderland, he quickly established control of The Avenue Theatre and Opera House and  The Theatre Royal, sadly no longer here. In a short space of time, Thornton was successful and wealthy enough to enter into partnership with Edward Moss, thus forming an organisation which transformed the northern theatre provinces of the early 1900s.

The Thornton/Moss partnership went on to establish Empire Palaces throughout the North with admission policies geared to the economic constraints of the day. This enabled the working classes to attend comfortable and clean venues and see quality productions for possibly the first time. This upgrading of theatre venues paved the way for their acceptance as centres for family entertainment.

Thornton soon became restless in this partnership and decided it was time to build a theatre of his own. His theatre was built by local architects William and TR Milburn on its present site and was known as the Empire Palace.

The Sunderland Empire has changed considerably since 1907. Originally, the domed tower was surmounted with a revolving sphere which bore the figure of Terpischore the Greek Goddess of dance, not as is commonly thought, Vesta Tilley. There were many main entrances to the theatre, each of which had their own payboxes – little arched hatches in the walls where you brought your ticket and then, having gone through a tiny entrance in single file, were able to take your seats.  Incidentally, these doors can still be seen on the outside of the theatre.

After the Depression of the 20s, a revival came to theatre during the late 1930s. By the outbreak of war, theatre was back on its feet with summer rep keeping the place open even during its normally dark months. During WW2, a bomb exploded near the theatre, badly rocking it. As a safety precaution, the globe and the statue of Terpsichore were removed. The original statue can now be seen at the head of the main staircase. A replica stands at the top of the spectacular dome.

During the forties, the theatre could do no wrong as everyone was desperate for entertainment, but then came the fifties and the advent of television and cinemascope. A consequence meant  the closure of hundreds of theatres, while the remaining ones struggled and played to ever decreasing audiences.

The owners of the Sunderland Empire decided to close rather than watch their glorious ship sink. Remarkably, the Corporation (now Sunderland City Council) took the unprecedented step of buying the theatre for £50,000. After a short closure the Sunderland Empire re-opened as the first ‘number one’ theatre under civic control.

Since the re-opening in 1960 the theatre has been refurbished and re-equipped three times. The former Music Hall area of 1907 was turned into a cinema during the 70s and since then, has been turned into a function room. In 1986, the main auditorium and foyer were extensively re-decorated and wheelchair access and toilet facilities were provided in the stalls area along with a modernised bar. Also in 1986, the box office ticket system was completely computerised, as was the stage lighting system in 1987. In 1989, refurbishment brought new carpeting throughout the auditorium and a new capacity of over 2,000.  In 1995 a brand new dressing room block which also housed a dance studio was built and property was also acquired on High Street West to house the theatre’s administration, marketing and management offices. In 2000, the Box Office was relocated to make way for a new foyer bar.

October 2000 heralded the dawn of a new era for the Sunderland Empire with SFX (formerly Apollo Leisure (UK) Ltd) taking over the management of the building for a 12 year contract.

Later that year, Clear Channel Entertainment (now Live Nation) bought SFX and in 2004, a major multi-million pound refurbishment occurred. The re-development was managed by Sunderland City Council and funded as follows:

- £1.9m from One NorthEast through the TyneWear Partnership

- £1.5m from the City Council’s Strategic Investment Fund

- £1.15m from Clear Channel Entertainment Ltd

Following the installation of a larger, flat stage, an increase in the height of the fly tower and enhancement to technology and backstage facilities, the venue is now the only one between Edinburgh and Manchester capable of staging large-scale West End productions. 

In January 2010, the Ambassador Theatre Group LTD (ATG) bought the management contract of Live Nation’s theatrical venues. ATG is one of the world's leading live entertainment companies, with 39 venues in the UK and offices in Australia and the USA. Co-founded by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire and with Greg Dyke (former Director General of the BBC) as executive chairman, ATG’s ownership cements Sunderland Empire’s status as a superpower in theatre and ensures that the venue remains the North East’s premier entertainment venue.

The Sunderland Empire has a magnificent auditorium with a traditional proscenium arch stage and seating capacity of 1,868 making it suitable for one-off hires, conference and events.

To discuss local hires please contact Alexandra Barber, Deputy General Manager on 0191 566 1046 or email alexandrabarber@theambassadors.com or for national and international touring productions please contact our venue bookings department on venuebookings@theambassadors.com.

The Sunderland Empire Creative Learning Department develops activities, events and projects based on and inspired by the shows on stage. The aim is always to meaningfully involve and engage the local community.

Bespoke workshops and events can be developed to meet your requirements, please contact us with any suggestions/requests.

Dirty Dancing Performing Arts Workshop
Workshop package includes;

• 4 hour workshop of choreography, songs and scene work from the First Ever National Tour of Dirty Dancing, culminating with a mini performance of The Playhouse, Kellerman's and Time of My Life! 

• Tickets to see the show; witness the sections you have learnt come to life on stage!

• Finally you will get to have your photo taken with the famous watermelon and receive a workshop certificate.

Cost: £60 including your show ticket (at the £30 price band)

Each workshop has limited places so book early to avoid disappointment.

All queries about these workshops should be sent to workshops@dirtydancingontour.com

Dirty Dancing
Free dance workshops for school group bookings of 10 or more. A fun and energetic one hour workshop where students will have “the time of their life” learning some of the iconic moves from the film. Available for students up to GCSE level, these workshops will take place at your school on a date and time which is convenient for you. Contact us to book.

Resource Packs
Education Resource Packs are available for many of our productions. Please contact us for further information.

Access All Areas!
Find out more about your favourite theatre with a backstage tour! Learn about the history of our beautiful Edwardian theatre, find out more about how it is managed and see the auditorium as the stars do…from the stage! Tours are available for school/youth groups of 10 to 30 people and are charged at £3.00 per person.

'Thank you for a fantastic visit! The children loved it and everything prepared for the day was great; very relevant, engaging and exciting! The session gave the children many opportunities to explore, question and even perform. A wonderful visit!'
Miss Robson, Reception Teacher, Barnes Infant School

Please note due to the large number of stairs, tours are not suitable for wheelchair users or those with walking difficulties.

Theatre Experience
Our new two hour theatre workshop is perfect for school/youth/drama groups! The Creative Learning Department has developed an interactive Theatre Experience which includes a full tour of the theatre (including full backstage and onstage access) followed by a one hour drama session, culminating in a small performance based on the early history of the Empire. Theatre Experience sessions are available for groups of 10 to 30 people and are charged at £5 per person.

'It was amazing to see all of the children fully engaged in an activity that they would have found very difficult to do in school. Fantastic!'
Mrs Monk, Year 4/5 Teacher, Shiney Row Primary School

Work Experience
Applications for the autumn/winter term of 2012 are now being accepted. All places for this current academic year are now full. Applicants should be studying towards GCSEs or A Levels (or equivalent) and have a strong interest in the theatre and the different careers available within the industry. Placements are for 1 week only and will involve working across various departments including box office, marketing and creative learning. Please email us to apply.

Coaches for Kids
We understand that the cost of transport is one of the real challenges when planning a school trip to the theatre. With this in mind Coaches for Kids was set up to help schools within the Sunderland Local Education Authority to meet the costs of arranging trips to the theatre. Working with Strattons Coaches and with the help of generous donations from our patrons we can offer schools FREE coaches, for travel to and from shows at Sunderland Empire. Please contact us for more information about eligibility criteria and application details.

Stage Experience
We are delighted to announce that the Sunderland Empire Stage Experience project for 2012 will be...

 Fame - The Musical

Music by Steven Margoshes
Lyrics by Jacques Levy
Book by Jose Fernandez
Based on a concept by David DeSilva
(Title song Fame written by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore)

By arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd. On behalf of Music Theatre International of New York.

Well done to everyone who attended our auditions on 28 April. Letters will reach all applicants within the next few weeks about whether or not you have been offered a part.

Contact
For further information about any Creative Learning activity please contact us on 0191 5661056 or at sunderlandeducation@theambassadors.com

Enjoy local ATG Theatre Card benefits at the following venues. Please contact the Box Office for details.

Accommodation
Sunderland Marriott Hotel
Copthorne Hotel (Newcastle)
Sandman Signature Hotel (Newcastle)

Restaurants
Frankie & Benny’s
Toni’s Ristorante

Other
Souter Lighthouse
Toni & Guy
Washington Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust