Hackney Empire Celebrates 125 Years with Open House and Special Season

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The theatre will present TALAWA's 40th anniversary gala, KURUPT FM, and new works including YASUKE from Renell Shaw and the return of BALLET BLACK.

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Hackney Empire will mark the beginning of the venue's landmark 125th birthday celebrations, as the iconic East London theatre opens its doors for a special Open House weekend on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, launches a new exhibition exploring 125 Iconic Years of cultural history, and announces a new season with an increased focused on partnerships and productions, signposting the next chapter for the organisation.

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Since opening in 1901, Hackney Empire has been a home for theatre, comedy, music and entertainment; a place where generations of artists, audiences, young people and communities have come together; a champion for global majority and under-represented creatives. Its 125th anniversary provides an opportunity both to celebrate that extraordinary history and to look forward, as CEO Chris Sudworth develops Hackney:Central, a vision for an ambitious, equitable, progressive and genuinely diverse theatre, rooted in Hackney while becoming increasingly central to the London, and national arts landscape and cultural conversation.

At the heart of the launch weekend's celebrations is Hackney Empire: 125 Iconic Years, a new exhibition in the theatre's foyer telling the remarkable story of the building and the people who have shaped it.

Beginning with Hackney Empire's opening in 1901, the exhibition travels through the golden age of Music Hall and Variety, jazz, rock 'n' roll, Hollywood and television; its years as a Mecca Bingo Hall and the campaign to reclaim the building as a theatre in the 1980s; through New Variety, comedy, music and activism, The 291 Club and the birth of Creative Futures, Hackney Empire's uniquely impactful programme for young people.

Visitors will be able to explore the theatre during Open House, drop in to meet the CEO, discover the exhibition and take a closer look at a building described by Time Out as “London's most beautiful theatre”.

Chris Sudworth said, “Hackney Empire's 125th anniversary is an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate everything this theatre has meant to artists, audiences and communities over the past 125 years – but just as importantly, to engage with what it can mean for current and future generations.

“The 125 Iconic Years exhibition has been a collaborative effort between professional and young researchers, and our brilliantly committed staff team, uncovering our unique history at the intersection of art, access and activism.

“The first ten months of our 16-month anniversary programme builds on that: bringing together relevant and high-quality theatre, dance, comedy and music; developing new partnerships and productions; supporting the ambitions of artists and young people; continuing to make sure Hackney Empire is a place where our communities feel they belong, are seen and celebrated.

“Further co-productions for 2027 will be announced soon, and through our new strategy, Hackney:Central, Hackney Empire will become ever more central to the local, London and national arts landscape.”

The newly published season brochure captures the first half of the planned 16-month programme celebrating the venue's 125th anniversary and launching its next chapter; combining major visiting artists with Hackney Empire-produced and supported work and new creative partnerships.

Among the newly revealed elements of the programme are further details of Talawa's 40th Anniversary Gala on Tuesday 13 October 2026, with performers including Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE, Tameka Empson , David Webber , Laurence Ubong Williams , Doña Croll and Chineke! Orchestra.

Kurupt FM are confirmed to headline the first edition of Empire Nights on Thursday 22 October 2026, and acclaimed comedian Lou Sanders will curate the second edition on Friday 29 January 2027. Following the launch of the new live series this autumn, Sanders will bring together her own line-up of artists from across comedy, music and modern variety, with further details to be announced.

Also newly revealed as part of the anniversary programme are new opera Yasuke by Ivor Novello Award-winning graduate of Hackney Empire's Creative Futures programme Renell Shaw , the return of Ballet Black with Unbound, a triple bill featuring Olivier Award-winner Isabela Coracy in Nina: By Whatever Means, alongside Hassan Mahamdallie & Stef O'Driscoll's Punk Days; Amina Khayyam's Bibi Rukiya's Reckless Daughter, a new dance-theatre production based on Lorca's House of Bernada Alba; with more exciting partnerships and co-productions to be announced in late November.

They join an already announced programme which begins in earnest on Thursday 8 October, when internationally acclaimed company Theatre Re, led by Hackney-based Director Guillaume Pigé, opens the 10th anniversary tour of its multi-award-winning global hit production The Nature of Forgetting . Following more than 200 performances worldwide, the production returns to London for its landmark anniversary season.

This is followed by ACE Dance and Music's The World As We See It on Tuesday 20 October: a double bill of contrasting visions of the world today, redefining dance from the African Diaspora, with works from choreographers Serge Aime Coulibaly and Vincent Matsoe.

On Thursday 22 October, Kurupt FM join Empire Nights curated and hosted by Jamali Maddix, alongside Guz Khan, Michelle de Swarte, Kyrah Gray, Manga Saint Hilare and DJ Lex Blondin.

Further autumn highlights include the return of key figures from Hackney Empire's story, Oliver Samuels, Lenny Henry , Jo Brand and Nina Conti and An Evening with David Byrne , while the season culminates with Hackney Empire's legendary pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk , from Saturday 21 November – Thursday 31 December.

Olivier Award-winner and “panto royalty” Clive Rowe returns to direct and star as 'Dame Trot', alongside Hackney Empire stalwart Kat B, appearing in his 21st Empire pantomime as 'Simple Simon Trot', with Marina Lawrence-Mahrra as 'Jack Trot', Summer Priest as 'Jill', Louise Cielecki as 'Fairy Firethorn', Andre Antonio as 'Timothy Trot', and Christopher Staines as 'Stephen Fleshcreep'. Taking the theatre through its 125th birthday in December, the production will also feature further anniversary surprises and celebrations to be announced.

Looking ahead, February 2027 will see the next edition of London's most exciting showcase of new, diverse creative talent, Alter Ego. In July 2027, Hackney Empire will produce the world premiere of Nanny of the Maroons with Belgrade Theatre, co-produced with tiata fahodzi. Co-directed by Corey Campbell and Justine Themen, the production tells the epic true story of legendary 18th-century Jamaican freedom fighter Queen Nanny, blending music, dance, drama, folklore and magical realism.

Spring highlights from the presented programme include funk-fuelled dance production The Brown Suite, City of London Sinfonia's world premiere of Emily Levy's REST, and four productions from English Touring Opera: Gluck's Orpheus & Eurydice, Langer's Ariadne, Purcell's Dido & Aeneas and Puccini's Tosca.

This 125th Anniversary Season includes a significant increase in the venue's provision of access performances: BSL Interpretation, Audio Description, Captioned and Relaxed. It also sees the first skills development residencies for professional creatives, with a week-long visual theatre training workshop with Theatre Re, and a Producer Boot Camp led by In Good Company.

Alongside its stage programme, Hackney Empire continues to put young people at the heart of its future. Its nationally recognised Creative Futures programme marks its own 25th anniversary in 2027 and provides free opportunities for young people aged 14–25 to perform, make work, develop creative and technical skills and find pathways into the arts. Programmes including Young Producers and Young Researchers are open to sign up now at https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/take-part/creative-futures

As Hackney Empire celebrates 125 years of cultural significance, the anniversary year will bring together its past, present and future: celebrating the generations of staff, artists, collaborators, creatives, audiences and communities who have shaped the theatre, while developing the new partnerships, productions, artists and young people who will shape what comes next.

Further announcements about Hackney Empire's 125th anniversary programme will follow.

Hackney Empire has also announced support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for development work that will help plan the next stage of the building's story. Thanks to National Lottery players, this phase will support preparations for future capital works, audience and community consultation, and research into Hackney Empire's heritage, including the diverse artists, audiences and communities who have shaped the venue's story since 1901. This programme will also celebrate the extraordinary impact, artistic and skills legacy, and future of Hackney Empire's Creative Futures programme, which will celebrate its own 25th anniversary in 2027.

Further announcements about Hackney Empire's 125th anniversary year, including additional programme, heritage, community and fundraising activity, will be made in the coming months.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Hackney-Empire-to-Launch-125th-Anniversary-With-Open-House-Weekend-20260917)._