Reusing some of Matcham's original design concepts, the theatre reopened on 1 October 1928 with the first production, the musical Show Boat. Nevertheless, given the long term competition from the growth of film as a popular medium, the theatre had to be re-equipped to present bigger and more spectacular shows. The theatre reopened three months after the fire. Film of the aftermath of the fire is held by the National Library of Scotland.

While all 3000 theatre goers escaped safely in about 2.5 minutes, there were eleven backstage deaths, including illusionist Sigmund Neuberger, who was then taking his final bow as The Great Lafayette his body double and the lion from his act. Designed by the great British theatre architect, Frank Matcham, (who built the London Coliseum, among others) its décor was lavish, with elephants with Nubian riders, nymphs and cherubs in abundance on the plasterwork, and it seated 3000 people on four levels.įor the following twenty years all the top artists of the day played at the Empire Palace until, on, there was a disastrous fire on stage. From being Dunedin Hall, the Royal Amphitheatre, Alhambra Music Hall, the Queen's Theatre, Pablo Fanque's Amphitheatre, and Newsome's Circus, the site became the Empire Palace Theatre, the first of the famous Moss Empires’ chain, opening on 7 November 1892. The present theatre's location is Edinburgh's longest continuous theatre site, for there has been a theatre in that location since 1830. It is one of the major venues of the annual summer Edinburgh International Festival and is the Edinburgh venue for the Scottish Opera and the Scottish Ballet. After its most recent renovation in 1994, it seats 1,915.

It is used primarily for performances of opera and ballet, large-scale musical events, and touring groups. The Edinburgh Festival Theatre (originally Empire Palace Theatre and later shortened to Empire Theatre) is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

War memorial opera house dress code