Moss Empires
Moss Empires was a British company formed from the merger of the theatre empires owned by Sir Edward Moss and Sir Oswald Stoll in 1898. This formed the largest British chain of music halls. The business was successful controlling 33 music halls, and by 1905, almost every sizeable town in Great Britain had an Empire, or Coliseum theatre, run by Stoll, and many newly constructed and designed by Frank Matcham. The company withdrew from promoting in music halls in 1960, due to increasing competition from other entertainment media.
The first Royal Command Performance was held at the group's London Palace Theatre in 1912; with many subsequent performances being given at the London Palladium. In 1945 Val Parnell became managing director of Moss Empires.
The company continues as Really Useful Theatres, formed from the merger of the Stoll Moss Group with RUG Theatres, in January 2000. They continue to manage seven theatres, the London Palladium, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, the Palace, the New London, the Adelphi, Her Majesty's and the Cambridge Theatre.
Theatres
London
- Empire Theatre of Varieties, Leicester Square
- Empire Variety Theatre, Oxford Street Swansea
- Hackney Empire (1901)
- London Palladium (1910)
- Coliseum Theatre (1904)
- Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (1812)
Provinces
- Bradford Alhambra (1914)
- Liverpool Olympia (1905)
- Newcastle Empire (1890)
- Nottingham Empire Palace (1898)
References
- Edward Moss (British Library)
- Oswald Stoll (British Library)
- Stoll-Moss Theatres Ltd (company history)
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