Southampton mayflower 2.27

Mayflower Theatre is a Grade II listed theatre in the city centre of Southampton, England, with a capacity of 2,300. It features West End theatre shows when they tour the UK.HistoryThe Empire (1928 - 1950)The theatre opened on 22 December 1928, as The Empire Theatre, part of the Moss Empire theatre group. It was part of the company's expansion of the late 1920s, which also saw theatres constructed in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Oxford and The Dominion, in London.At the time of construction, it was the largest theatre in the south of England, a title it still holds. In the early days, many shows were transported by train. The theatre's proximity to Southampton Central railway station made its location ideal, but meant that many shows were not as spectacular as their London counterparts. The theatre suffered in early days, to the arrival of cinema, with sound or 'talkies'. This led to the 1933 installation of a projection box in the balcony and a screen, which could be raised and lowered at the front of the stage. By 1942, the theatre was mainly used as a cinema and was taken over by The Gaumont British Picture Corporation.