Empress Theatre (Brixton)

The auditorium, decorated in the French Renaissance style, was fitted with 'chaste embellishments' of nine panels 'each ornamented by a heraldic dive of griffins.. clawing a shield in delicate pink'[3] measured 75 foot by 64 foot in the clear over which was a "lofty saucer-shaped dome".

Over the proscenium, on each top corner, were positioned reclining female figures of Euterpe and Terpsichore, while over the two boxes, placed on each side of the proscenium on the dress circle level, were paintings, again in the French Renaissance style.

On the 'bill' that night were Brixton's Kate Carney as well as a display of the Thomas Edison moving pictures.

[1] Other performers to appear at the Empress at this time included Joe Elvin, Vera Lynn, Tommy Fields,[5][6] Wilson, Keppel and Betty,[2] Marie Lloyd and Harry Lauder.

During the 1950s and 1960s various well-known performers appeared at the Empress, including Tony Hancock,[7] Dorothy Squires, Alma Cogan,[8] Joe Brown, Shirley Abicair, Hughie Green, Charlie Chester, Max Miller, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and Bruce Forsyth.