SUNDERLAND Empire brought down the curtain yesterday ready for a £4m refurbishment.
The Empire will be transformed into a venue able to stage bigger productions.
The project has been made possible thanks to the theatre's owner, Sunderland City Council, which joined forces with Clear Channel Entertainment, the world's largest provider of live entertainment, which manages the theatre.
Council leader Bob Symonds said that as work gets under way, efforts have already paid off with a production of Miss Saigon lined up for what is set to be a record-breaking seven-week run in January.
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