News Story
Our CEO Chris Sudworth and the whole team at Hackney Empire are delighted to mark the beginning of our 125th anniversary celebrations, with a special Open House weekend this Sat 19 and Sun 20 Sep, unveiling a new exhibition exploring 125 iconic years of culture, community and change, and the launch our new anniversary season.
Since opening in 1901, Hackney Empire has stood at the centre of its community: a home for theatre, comedy, music and entertainment, a champion of global majority and under-represented creatives, and a place where generations of artists, audiences and young people have come together.
Our new Hackney Empire: 125 Iconic Years exhibition charts the remarkable story of the building and the people who have shaped it, from Music Hall and Variety through to the theatre’s revival in the 1980s, New Variety, comedy, activism and our pioneering work with young people.
The first ten months of our 16-month anniversary programme include:
- Talawa’s 40th Anniversary Gala, celebrating four decades of Black excellence in British theatre.
- The launch of Empire Nights, with Kurupt FM headlining the first edition, hosted by Jamali Maddix, followed by Lou Sanders curating the second.
- New opera Yasuke by Creative Futures graduate Renell Shaw.
- The return of Ballet Black with Unbound.
- New work including Punk Days and Bibi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter.
- Theatre Re’s 10th anniversary tour of The Nature of Forgetting.
- The return of Clive Rowe as Dame and director in our legendary pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk.
- The 2027 world premiere of Nanny of the Maroons, co-produced with Belgrade Theatre and tiata fahodzi.
- Other highlights include the return of key figures from Hackney Empire’s story, Oliver Samuels, Lenny Henry, Jo Brand and Nina Conti plus An Evening with David Byrne.
The season also sees an increased focus on access, skills development and opportunities for professional creatives, while Creative Futures continues to put young people at the heart of Hackney Empire’s future.
As we celebrate 125 years, we’re honouring the artists, audiences and communities who have shaped our story, while building new partnerships, productions and opportunities through our next chapter, Hackney:Central.
