112:. There followed a public debate with many local people opposed to Stoll's plan, arguing that such a venue would be unsuitable in one of the more select residential areas in the town. Others were concerned that a music hall would encourage working-class people to waste their money: "having too many music halls is a great blow to thrift – a great weakness of the English race was their want of thrift" suggested one local resident. However, the new theatre had enough local support for a 2,000 signature petition in its favour. Permission was granted and Stoll built his new theatre at 414 Chiswick High Road; some shops and the local smithy had to be demolished to accommodate it.
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In 1932 the Empire had a new manager who previously had worked in a theatre that had done well financially when it had changed to a full-time cinema. The
Chiswick Empire similarly had a change of use to a cinema with a Western Electric sound system being installed. However, the move was not a success
144:
stage and caused considerable damage to the auditorium. The fire was started by suffragettes after dousing much of the interior with oil, which caused the fire to spread rapidly. After extensive restoration at a cost of £12,000 the theatre reopened three months later with the appositely-named play
143:
The
Chiswick Empire opened on 2 September 1912 with a Variety bill that included some of the most popular performers of the time. While built as a venue for variety acts the Empire also at times staged plays. On 19 August 1913 while the theatre was empty a serious fire broke out which destroyed the
451:
which featured some of the singers, actors, comedians and music hall artists who had performed at the
Chiswick Empire including Marie Lloyd, Cliff Richard, Arthur Askey, Laurel and Hardy, Tommy Cooper, Max Wall, Liberace, Terry-Thomas, George Formby, Peter Sellers, Max Miller, Morecambe and Wise,
425:
139:
width of 44 feet and an orchestra pit for 15 musicians. Behind the scenes were 10 dressing rooms. An innovation was a sliding roof; it was seldom opened, but when it was, would cause clouds of dust to drop on the audience.
135:. With a large two storey centrally placed opening with an open verandah, the auditorium could seat 1,948, with 890 in the Stalls, 454 in the Dress Circle, and 554 in the Balcony and eight boxes. The stage had a
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the Empire closed in common with all other theatres across the country, but reopened at the end of 1941 when some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry appeared including:
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and in
October 1933 the Empire reverted to being a live theatre with films only being shown on Sundays when live performances were prohibited.
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that opened in 1912 and closed and was demolished in 1959. A venue for touring artists, some of the greatest names in drama, variety and
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History of the
Chiswick Empire – Arthur Lloyd.co.uk: The Music Hall and Theatre History Site Dedicated to Arthur Lloyd, 1839 – 1904
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By the 1920s the Empire was home to twice nightly variety acts as well as revues, plays and opera, with the Swiss clown
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and others. Prints of the mural were sold to raise money for the redevelopment of the ‘piazza’ area in
Chiswick.
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359:. The structure was demolished within a month and Empire House, an office building, erected on the site.
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The
Chiswick Empire closed on 29 June 1959 with a week of performances by the American pianist
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439:, a resident of Chiswick since 1957 and who saw Max Miller at the Chiswick Empire, created a
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Auction of Peter Blake artist’s proofs to support
Chiswick ‘piazza’ on Turnham Green –
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The
Chiswick Empire – Brentford and Chiswick Local History Journal 10 (2001)
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296:(1949), while in the 1950s entertainers who appeared at the venue included:
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held a
Shakespeare season at the theatre while variety stars such as
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revisiting the Empire and finding a supermarket built in its place.
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20:
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Chiswick Empire was designed for Stoll by the theatre architect
16:
Former theatre and cinema in Chiswick, Hounslow, London, England
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For the Christmas season each year the Empire put on a popular
665:
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attended a concert in aid of the Chiswick Memorial Homes.
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appearing in that for 1915 while the popular entertainers
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Sir Peter Blake reveals Sgt Pepper's-inspired tube mural
25:
The Chiswick Empire on Chiswick High Road, next to the
527:
The Chiswick Empire Theatre – Cinema Treasures website
472:
Gillian Clegg states that it was built to seat 4.000.
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Brentford and Chiswick (UK Parliament constituency)
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340:(1952), Laurel and Hardy on a return visit (1954),
127:. The interior was decorated in what was called a "
1369:Former music hall venues in the United Kingdom
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195:appeared in a number of charity matinees and
8:
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1364:Buildings and structures demolished in 1959
1252:Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick
547:. Historical Publications. pp. 95–96.
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285:(Old Mother Riley and Her Daughter Kitty).
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753:British Queen Anne Revival architecture
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292:in their first British tour (1947) and
92:In 1910 the theatre owner and manager
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1334:Buildings and structures in Chiswick
231:appeared at the theatre in the play
447:mural under the railway arches at
211:appearing in 1921. The company of
131:" style, similar in design to the
14:
994:John I. Thornycroft & Company
858:Our Lady of Grace & St Edward
617:. Bright Thoughts Theatre Company
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568:United Press (20 August 1913).
1349:1912 establishments in England
959:Architecture of Chiswick House
179:. In 1915 the Empire also saw
177:Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1:
288:After the War the Empire saw
85:
887:Chiswick Park Cricket Ground
748:Architecture of Bedford Park
96:made a proposal to build a
1390:
1359:Theatres completed in 1912
1344:Former theatres in England
1021:Fuller, Smith & Turner
902:King's House Sports Ground
449:Turnham Green tube station
243:D’Oyly Carte Opera Company
175:was in the 1955 pantomime
119:The Chiswick Empire (1913)
49:performed there including
1374:Former theatres in London
881:Chiswick Lifeboat Station
819:St Michael and All Angels
775:
615:"Hollywood Hits Chiswick"
241:played there, as did the
1146:Dukes Meadows Footbridge
1136:Chiswick Park Footbridge
814:H. J. Mulliner & Co.
803:Arts Educational Schools
570:"Militants Burn Theater"
454:Wilson, Keppel and Betty
420:Peter Blake mural (2017)
1246:Chiswick Urban District
1091:Battle of Turnham Green
641:London Evening Standard
543:Clegg, Gillian (1995).
435:In 2017 the pop artist
376:Hollywood Hits Chiswick
239:Carl Rosa Opera Company
227:also appeared. In 1930
29:, which still survives.
970:Chiswick House Gardens
931:Chiswick Business Park
765:London Buddhist Vihara
432:
169:Jack and the Beanstalk
120:
89:
30:
1121:Barnes Railway Bridge
1028:George and Devonshire
427:
330:Ray Ellington Quartet
118:
80:
37:was a theatre facing
24:
1270:Chiswick (1799 ship)
936:Gunnersbury Triangle
574:The Pittsburgh Press
257:At the beginning of
1354:1912 establishments
1301: /
1141:Chiswick Roundabout
1060:Strand-on-the-Green
913:St Michael's Church
796:Bedford Park (part)
656:The Chiswick Herald
283:Lucan & McShane
1339:Theatres in London
1156:Kew Railway Bridge
1151:Hogarth Roundabout
1050:St Nicholas Church
1011:Embassy of Moldova
834:Chiswick High Road
808:Chiswick Playhouse
644:, 22 November 2017
433:
314:Morecambe and Wise
191:. In January 1917
167:appeared there in
121:
102:Chiswick High Road
90:
31:
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723:St Alban's Church
658:, 6 December 2018
378:, which imagined
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1305:51.493°N 0.266°W
1302:
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1276:Chiswick Records
1224:
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1131:Chiswick flyover
1016:Fuller's Brewery
848:Old Fire Station
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509:Christina Pain,
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374:television play
370:appeared in the
368:Caroline Quentin
326:Dickie Valentine
290:Laurel and Hardy
234:The Distaff Side
217:Wee Georgie Wood
203:Between the Wars
133:London Palladium
87:
55:Laurel and Hardy
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1242:Administration
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1126:Chiswick Bridge
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1073:Oliver's Island
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1038:William Hogarth
1033:Hogarth's House
1006:Chiswick School
965:Chiswick Asylum
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843:Chiswick Empire
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437:Sir Peter Blake
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338:Dorothy Squires
255:
229:Sybil Thorndike
225:Charles Hawtrey
205:
197:Queen Alexandra
165:Shaun Glenville
75:
35:Chiswick Empire
17:
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1310:51.493; -0.266
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954:Chiswick House
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344:, Alma Cogan,
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81:The architect
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1227:Turnham Green
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1189:Chiswick Park
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1083:Turnham Green
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982:Chiswick Eyot
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977:Chiswick Mall
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892:Duke's Hollow
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760:Jonathan Carr
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554:0-94866-733-8
550:
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545:Chiswick Past
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438:
431:'s 2017 mural
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401:
397:
390:
385:
383:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
360:
358:
353:
351:
350:Cliff Richard
347:
343:
339:
335:
334:Peter Sellers
331:
327:
323:
319:
315:
311:
310:Julie Andrews
307:
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221:Tommy Handley
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181:Gladys Cooper
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158:
157:George Formby
154:
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130:
126:
125:Frank Matcham
117:
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110:Turnham Green
107:
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100:on a site on
99:
95:
84:
83:Frank Matcham
79:
73:Early history
72:
70:
68:
64:
63:Peter Sellers
60:
56:
52:
51:George Formby
48:
44:
40:
39:Turnham Green
36:
28:
27:Old Packhorse
23:
19:
1286:
946:Old Chiswick
842:
739:Bedford Park
655:
649:
639:
631:
619:. Retrieved
609:
577:. Retrieved
573:
563:
544:
468:
434:
375:
364:Derek Newark
361:
354:
346:Terry-Thomas
306:Max Bygraves
298:Tommy Cooper
287:
279:Arthur Askey
259:World War II
256:
247:
232:
206:
189:Vesta Tilley
176:
168:
161:Dorothy Ward
150:
145:
142:
122:
94:Oswald Stoll
91:
34:
32:
18:
1308: /
1265:Bollo Brook
1254:(1927–1965)
1248:(1858–1927)
1205:Gunnersbury
1178:South Acton
1068:Bull's Head
1045:Mawson Arms
923:Gunnersbury
863:Power House
715:Acton Green
441:Sgt. Pepper
429:Peter Blake
410:Poster for
394:Poster for
380:W.C. Fields
348:(1955) and
275:Jimmy James
271:Ben Warriss
267:Jimmy Jewel
253:Later years
185:Marie Lloyd
146:The Miracle
1323:Categories
1293:51°29′35″N
873:Grove Park
824:The Tabard
480:References
396:Chico Marx
342:Al Martino
302:Max Miller
294:Chico Marx
193:Clara Butt
173:Alma Cogan
137:proscenium
98:music hall
59:Chico Marx
47:music hall
1296:0°15′58″W
1114:Transport
1101:Town Hall
372:Channel 4
263:Vera Lynn
213:Ben Greet
171:in 1949.
153:pantomime
104:, facing
1329:Chiswick
1167:Chiswick
788:Hounslow
697:Chiswick
621:16 April
412:Liberace
362:In 1983
357:Liberace
352:(1959).
322:Max Wall
318:Ken Dodd
245:in 1931
237:and the
129:Jacobean
106:Chiswick
67:Liberace
43:Chiswick
1274:†
992:†
986:†
963:†
579:15 June
445:collage
155:, with
1225:
1214:
1203:
1187:
1176:
1165:
741:(part)
705:Ealing
551:
443:-like
414:, 1959
398:, 1949
328:, the
1236:Other
460:Notes
209:Grock
623:2022
581:2022
549:ISBN
366:and
336:and
281:and
269:and
223:and
187:and
163:and
88:1900
65:and
33:The
108:'s
41:in
1325::
906:†
885:†
841:†
812:†
638:–
589:^
572:.
533:^
517:^
488:^
332:,
324:,
320:,
316:,
312:,
308:,
304:,
300:,
277:,
273:,
265:,
219:,
183:,
148:.
86:c.
69:.
61:,
57:,
53:,
689:e
682:t
675:v
625:.
583:.
557:.
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