The Hackney Empire was built as a music hall in 1901, designed by the architect Frank Matcham. In 1956 the theatre was sold to ATV and it became the first commercial television studios in Britain. In 1963 Mecca purchased the theatre and converted it into a bingo hall. In 1984 the building became a Grade II listed building and Mecca were ordered to restore the domes on the Mare Street façade. Faced with the financial costs of restoring the building's exterior to its original state, Mecca offered the Hackney Empire to the Cartoon Archetypical Slogan Theatre (CAST), a satirical touring theatre group, headed by Claire and Roland Muldoon, as a London base. The building was restored to a theatre once more and reopened in 1986. It went on to establish itself as one of the leading stand-up comedy venues in Britain. In 2001, the Empire began a renovation and restoration project which was completed in Jan 2004.
From the guide to the Hackney Empire archive, [1970-2005], (University of East London)
