New Empire Theatre

The following fourteen years the theatre was run on a leasehold basis by various people, including Albert Marchinsky, an illusionist known as "The Great Rameses", a successful magician and music hall entertainer who spent some time pursuing theatre management as a career.

[2] By 1919, the advent of moving pictures had brought about many changes in Southend, and the theatre closed its doors, making way for an enlarged and magnificent cinema, The Rivoli.

In 1962, the Rivoli was taken over by the ABC chain and underwent further refurbishment, including the addition of a Marine Bar underground, making use of the old Empire passageways.

[2] However, after 6 months of closure, the site reopened as the New Empire Theatre, with a production of the Little Shop of Horrors on 10 October 1998.

According to a spokesman for the Essex fire service, "the building suffered extensive damage and the roof has collapsed, largely destroying the first floor auditorium.