The elegantly domed Empress Theatre Brixton was one of hundreds of grand new Variety theatres built in Great Britain in the late 19th century to satisfy the huge demand for this type of entertainment. It opened on Boxing Day 1898 as the Empress Theatre of Varieties, boasting a stage 60 foot wide by 40 foot deep (approximately 18.5 x 12 metres), and a seating capacity for 1,260. Bought by Variety Theatres Consolidated in 1930 with extra adjacent land, the interior was remodelled in Art Deco style, with seating capacity increased to 2,000. It reopened on 19th October 1931 as the Empress and continued as a Variety Theatre until 1957 when it became the Granada Cinema. It was used as a bingo hall and furniture repository until demolished in 1992 to make room for residential development.

This is a typical Variety poster, printed in two colours, clearly stating the times and ices, with the names of the biggest stars or 'headliners' in the largest typeface. There were two performances daily, with 'Sunday Talkies' or short films with synchronised sound, as great attraction. Variety theatre programmes changed weekly, and on the bill this week were Hutch, or Leslie A. Hutchinson; Wilbur Hall 'the comedy feature of Paul Whiteman and Jack Hylton's Bands'; the brilliant violinist Albert Sandler with his pianist Jack Byfield and his cellist Reginald Kilbey; the comedy duo Morris & Cowley (who called themselves: 'top gear comedians' and named their act after the popular 1924 car); the unicyclists Annette & Durno; Ouida & Julia; the Three Mighty Atoms; the comedy jugglers The Mongadors, and Olgo 'the Mathematical Wonder'.