Chiswick Empire

A venue for touring artists, some of the greatest names in drama, variety and music hall performed there including George Formby, Laurel and Hardy, Chico Marx, Peter Sellers and Liberace.

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.

In January 1917 Clara Butt appeared in a number of charity matinees and Queen Alexandra attended a concert in aid of the Chiswick Memorial Homes.

The company of Ben Greet held a Shakespeare season at the theatre while variety stars such as Wee Georgie Wood, Tommy Handley and Charles Hawtrey also appeared.

[1][5] At the beginning of World War II 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: Vera Lynn, Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warriss, Jimmy James, Arthur Askey and Lucan & McShane (Old Mother Riley and Her Daughter Kitty).

[5] In 1983 Derek Newark and Caroline Quentin appeared in the Channel 4 television play Hollywood Hits Chiswick, which imagined W.C. Fields revisiting the Empire and finding a supermarket built in its place.

Pepper-like collage mural under the railway arches at Turnham Green tube station 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, Vesta Tilley, Wilson, Keppel and Betty and others.