When the Sunderland Empire emerges from a seven-month, £4m refurbishment, manager Dominic Stokes is confident that the best of the West End shows will call. Viv Hardwick reports.

EVERYBODY has one question for the Sunderland Empire's youngest ever manager Dominic Stokes: "What are you going to be doing for the seven months when the theatre is shut?"

He jokes about reducing his golf handicap, but the 27-year-old knows that £4m of work, which starts on April 13, is going to test the 96-year-old venue to the hilt.

Stokes is determined to turn the 2,000-capacity Empire into the North's best venue and ensure that no more big touring shows can afford to turn their backs on the North-East.

In fact, Miss Saigon is already booked in for the first two months of 2005 to put the theatre's new-look stage, fly tower and orchestra pit to the test.

"Shutting down does alleviate some pressure because Clear Channel bosses (who run the trust-owned Empire) would be expecting further growth based on last year and there aren't as many touring productions around this year. We had Blood Brothers, Whistle Down The Wind, Saturday Night Fever and this year, we haven't got much after Grease and Footloose.

"Opening again in November is a bigger pressure. We're talking about being ready for the university graduation ceremonies on November 29 and time has been built in to make sure that happens on time - so they tell me. Obviously there are going to be a few hiccoughs on the way, you can't plan 100 per cent for anything because contractors aren't going to be that familiar with the workings of a theatre."

The first real show for the new-look Empire will be the 2004 pantomime, which is likely to involve comic Jim Davidson and which "has to be of sufficient quality", but the days of an all-star panto cast have gone, mainly because the people available are from soaps and Pop Idol.

"We're already looking at the touring shows for 2005 and now we want to concentrate on being the major venue in the North, not just the North-East. Clear Channel has put in £1m of the improvement costs and Sunderland City Council has found the rest.

"Wearside is very proud of the Sunderland Empire. The seven-month closure is a big hole in the cultural facilities and they are going to expect a top class venue. Over the last year, we increased our admissions by 19 per cent on 2002, so the theatre is becoming a bigger part of the region. People are used to coming along and they will be on the lookout for the big shows in 2005.

"The idea of the refurbishment is that if any show tours, it should be able to come to the North-East. We know we will be able to take things like Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, The Lion King and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which are in the West End at the moment, when they decide to tour."

Stokes is not prepared to gloat about stealing the A-list crown from Newcastle's Theatre Royal and comments: "I don't think the work being done here will put Tyneside's nose out of joint. Yes, we are now taking more of the musicals away from the Theatre Royal but there is a place for both of us because our auditorium and general ambience would not stand the dramas that they do so well."

His main aim is to ensure that North-East audiences gain the chance to see any £1m-£2m production which decides to visit regional venues, and that includes huge musicals like Les Miserables - previously restricted to the UK's plastic-seated arenas.

"I've also got to manage expectations because people aren't going to see a lot of money in the front of house area, we're talking about everything happening behind the curtain," says Stokes.

Recent runs of Cats and The King And I saw the Empire selling seats for the "almost unheard of" areas like the upper circle and the back of the gallery. Stokes says: "Grease is coming in a couple of weeks and we are releasing the standing seats - and that is unheard of for a touring musical, that is phenomenal. The potential for this theatre is not even half tapped and we need to be attracting more audiences from the south of the region. I see my future linked to this theatre for the foreseeable future."

* Grease runs from today until Saturday, Jan 31. Box Office: 0191-514 2517.

Published: 26/01/2004