Empire

The Empire in Shirebrook was a ciné-variety with better than average provision for live performance.

Built in 1910, the exterior is of plain red brick with sparse stone dressings, in two two-storey bays (the stage house) and four single storey bays, divided by brick piers surmounted by ball finials. A stone cornice breaks forward at each pier. The entrance is at the far end of the long flank from the stage house, at some point its red brick enclosed in blue painted hardboard.

Inside there is little foyer space. The auditorium is on one level, heavily raked with spare decoration. The stage provides a good working area, and together with a generous provision of dressing room accommodation would make this a suitable venue for amateur groups. Its small capacity (c.600) has economic limitations for a professional revival.

It was offered for auction in July 2011, and in September of that year a fire broke out destroying the stage house. The stage end of the building was declared unsafe and therefore demolished. The rest of the building still stands, and appears to remain for sale, along with the adjacent property (a former bakery).