[8] The actor Sid James, best known for his roles in Carry On films and Bless This House suffered a heart attack during a performance of The Mating Season on 26 April 1976 and died on the way to hospital.

Later it was rumoured that his ghost was in the dressing room he occupied on the night of his death; after one experience during a gig there, the comedian Les Dawson refused to play the venue again.

[11] Nowadays, the theatre regularly plays host to large-scale musicals, opera, ballet, dance showcases, amateur productions and one-night shows.

Following a nine-month closure for a £4.5m redevelopment project to enable it to stage West End shows,[12] the theatre reopened on 9 December 2004 with a performance of Starlight Express.

Scrooge: The Musical played at the Sunderland Empire over the 2006 Christmas period, starring comedian and television personality Michael Barrymore in the title role.

2007 saw the Sunderland Empire celebrate its centenary and a massive line-up of big shows including Starlight Express, The Producers, Footloose, South Pacific and the first pantomime since its refurbishment – Cinderella which starred Hollywood actor Mickey Rooney.

[citation needed] The theatre now is a receiving house for large-scale touring productions such as Wicked, Matilda the Musical, War Horse and Miss Saigon.