Essoldo Theatre

Imperial Theatre Management and Staff c1940

Reproduced with kind permission from National Photo and Scholastic Publications

Staff of the old Imperial theatre c1940

By Ian Vaughan

This is a photo of the management and staff of the Imperial Theatre, North Street, Brighton around the time that it was opened in 1940. My mother-in-law, Mrs Rosemary Sinden (nee Evans), was an usherette and can be seen seated on the floor in front of the man wearing glasses who was, presumably, a senior member of management. Tom Walls is seated immediately to his right wearing a grey suit and Ralph Lynn is two places to his left next to the lady. Both were well known actors and laid the foundation stones of the theatre. Mrs Sinden's mother was a cloakroom attendant and can be seen on the extreme left of the picture wearing a white coat.

The theatre eventually became the Essoldo Cinema. It was demolished a few years ago.