With the dawn of cinema in the early 1900s, many of Belfast's auditoriums were converted with the installation of silver screens before eventually being demolished. Here are some of the gems we have lost to time.
When we think of cities with a vibrant theatre scene, we often think of the likes of London's West End or New York's Broadway, however Belfast once had a vibrant array of performance spaces which could rival both.
However, thanks to images captured of some of the buildings in their heyday, memories of going to some of the theatres which lined the city's streets live on.The Empire Theatre The Empire Theatre opened its doors on Victoria Square in 1894 before closing in 1961. Many of our local talent at the time began their career there including comic James Young, who is often associated with the Group Theatre where he made his name.
The Royal Hippodrome The Royal Hippodrome was constructed next to the Grand Opera House on Great Victoria Street in the early 1900s. It was renovated in the 1960s and became an Odeon Cinema. During these renovations, it lost much of its architectural charm and was eventually demolished to make way for an extended Grand Opera House and the Fitzwilliam Hotel.
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