The auditorium of Screen 1 in the Empire Cinema

The Empire Theatre first opened in 1884 and was designed by Thomas Verity. Its facade, entrance and auditorium were redeveloped in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Between 1928 and 1961, the auditorium had 3,300 seats. After 1962, when the interior was redesigned by George Coles, the former stalls became a dance hall, later a casino. In the 1980s the cinema was converted into three screens: the original Screen 1 could seat 1,330 people, the adjacent Ritz Cinema became Screen 2, and an area off the foyer was use as Screen 3. Screen 1 was subdivided in the early 21st century. Empire Cinema, Leicester Square, City of Westminster, Greater London Authority