Fresh details revealed as Empire Theatre renovations take first step

The first stage of renovations at one of Liverpool’s most historical cultural venues is to move a step closer.

Approaching 10 years in its current guise, the Empire Theatre on Lime Street has welcomed a star-studded lineup of performers including the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Queen. Now a planning application has been lodged with the city council to ensure it can remain a premier venue for the next 100 years.

Earlier this year, ATG Entertainment - which manages the theatre - confirmed it would seek to make improvements to the outside of the building and is now seeking permission to start the work to the listed site with amendments to the frontage.

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The firm is looking to move ahead with initially introducing new digital signs which a design statement said would bring about a “much neater and more vibrant appearance” to the site. The works are the first proposed major renovation of the site in decades.

Having begun life as The New Prince of Wales Theatre and Opera House in 1866, a year later its name changed to the Royal Alexandra Theatre and Opera House to honour the Princess of Wales. It was renamed to the Empire in 1886 and became the venue we know today in 1924.

In July, a number of changes were proposed for the front of the Lime Street location including fixes to windows, the canopy and the stone frontage. According to planning documents sent to Liverpool Council work will include cleaning the top of the theatre canopy to remove all vegetation. Gully positions will be cleaned out to the top of the canopy and ensure rainwater pipes are running freely.

The Empire’s existing signage includes ground floor poster signs, fascia signage, three first floor poster signs and a high-level theatre name sign above the dentilled cornice. The first-floor poster signs are long established features and are supported on metal framed structures, which have been replaced and upgraded in previous years.

The design statement said: “The theatre wishes to upgrade and modernise the first-floor poster signs to a digital (LED) unit. The existing 3 first floor signs and their associated structures would be removed.

“The signage would be rationalised to a single, centrally located, double sided projecting LED sign unit. The new LED signage would provide a much neater and more vibrant appearance (than vinyl tethered by ropes), and would complement the appearance of the building and its longstanding cultural use.

“The proposal helps with the upgrade of the building and facilitates its operational requirements which, in turn, contribute to its viability and continued use as a theatre venue.” The theatre is the largest tier II venue of its kind in the UK with 2,350 seats.

In 1999 years ago a major stage extension and front of house refurbishment was completed. It is not expected that performances will be impacted by any of the work.