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Centenary Plans Revealed

The Centenary Celebrations step up a gear this month as the theatre reveals plans for a large scale community performance and a weekend of history alive events celebrating 100 years of entertainment on the site of the original Empire Cinema.

'IF THESE BRICKS COULD TALK' - written and directed by Tim Lince;  is a community performance with over 125 different roles which will be taken by local people in a passion-play style multi-media pageant supported by the Heritage Lottery

A schools version of the piece will be performed at the end of June but due to the interest and scale of the show the full community piece will be presented at the end of the summer in two parts:

Part 1:   1910 - 1945    (90 minutes)  7.30pm - 9pm

This piece is about the early beginnings of the Empire at Ewood, from silent movies and music hall to the advent of 'talkies' and early musicals, and is set against a backdrop of the campaign for votes for women in Blackburn and two World Wars.  We meet the founders of the cinema, Ferdinand Caton, Christopher Hope, Henry Duckworth, Benjamin Hall and Henry Ainsworth.  

 Part 2:  1945 - 2010  (75 minutes + illustrated presentation)

7.30pm - 8.45pm  then 9pm-9.45pm

We follow the theatre's journey through takeovers by Essoldo and Classic and into decline and decay before rising like a phoenix from the ashes with the hard work and dedication of a team of passionate volunteers.

After a short interval, there will be an illustrated presentation with slides explaining about how the renovation work took place.

Performances:

Wednesday 8 September  Part 1 Community Performance, 'If these Bricks Could Talk ...'

Thursday 9 September      Part 2 Community Performance, 'If these Bricks Could Talk ...'

Friday 10 September        Part 1 Community Performance, 'If these Bricks Could Talk ...'

Saturday 11 September    Part 2 Community Performance, 'If these Bricks Could Talk ..'

 

Tickets:  £10 for 2 part ticket,  £6 bought individually.  Children tickets free (suitable for 7+)

 

Saturday 11 September:    Heritage Open Day.  

Free activities, part of a national campaign to encourage people to go behind the scenes and discover the history of buildings on their doorstep not usually accessible to the public.

10am - 1pm 

There will be drop in free tours behind the scenes and a clipboard treasure hunt for kids and colouring in history sheet.

12.30pm

There will be a timecapsule burial ceremony with members of the cast of 'If these Bricks Could Talk ...'

1.00pm

A 1 hour guided walk presented by Bernard Kennedy of Living Streets.  The walk has been produced in partnership by Living Streets, Blackburn Civic Society and the Thwaites Empire Theatre and is called 'People and Picture Houses'.  It starts and finishes at the theatre and is suitable for all ages and abilities and takes in the addresses of the main founders; Messrs Caton, Hope, Duckworth, Hall and Ainsworth as well as what was the Palladium at Mill Hill.

Members of the cast will take part in in costume from theatre and will be invited to share lunch together at 2pm (venue to be confirmed).

Sunday 12 September  7.30pm  

Centenary Thanksgiving Service  - TICKETS FREE (COLLECTION TAKEN ON THE NIGHT)  

 

Profits in aid of the Empire100 Raise the Roof fund to repair and restore the theatre roof and ongoing maintenance.

 

Release Date: Saturday 20 March 2010