Hackney venue saved - again

London's iconic Hackney Empire has been saved - again.

A £15million renovation project to renovate the music hall is back on track after the Arts Council today gave the go-ahead to restart.

The refit hit problems after the company carrying out the work, Sunley Turriff, collapsed, but now the venue should be ready to reopen in January.

Now the Arts Council, which put £5million into the project, has said the work can be continued with a different contractor.

Griff Rhys Jones, who led a campaign to save the theatre, told London's Evening Standard: "I feel cautiously optimistic that we will get there. I just hope that everything goes according to plan. We still have to dot a few 'I's and cross a few 'T's but we will get there."

The 102-year-old Empire has been closed since September 2001 for the work. In its long history, it has been a music hall, TV studio, bingo hall and was revived by Roland Muldoon as a variety venue on the back of the alternative comedy wave.

Comics who have performed their have included Max Miller, Charlie Chaplin, Chico Marx, Stan Laurel and Tony Hancock.

Paul Merton once said: "Every time I've played there it's been an absolute joy and has reminded me why I do what I do."

Read William Cook's history of the Hackney Empire

Published: 15 Aug 2003