Sunderland Empire
The theatre, which opened in 1907, is owned by City of Sunderland Council and operated by Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd, on behalf of Sunderland Empire Theatre Trust.
1960: Humpty Dumpty
*******
1965: Babes in the Wood
****
1968: Robin Hood
****
1970: Jack and the Beanstalk
1971: Cinderella
1972: Dick Whittington
****
1975: Cinderella
1976: Aladdin
1977: Babes in the Wood
1979: Dick Whittington
1980: Sinbad the Sailor
1981: Cinderella
1982: Babes in the Wood
1983: Jack and the Beanstalk
1984: Mother Goose
1985: The Sleeping Beauty
1986: Humpty Dumpty
1987: Aladdin
1988: Cinderella
1990: Mother Goose
1991: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1992: Cinderella
1993: Aladdin
1994: Dick Whittington
1995: Sleeping Beauty
1996: Babes in the Wood
1997: Cinderella
1998: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1999: Aladdin
2000: Sleeping Beauty
2001: Peter Pan
2002: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2003: Cinderella
****
2007: Cinderella
2008: Aladdin
2009: Peter Pan
****
2012: Peter Pan
2013: Cinderella
2014: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2015: Aladdin
2016: Sleeping Beauty
2017: Jack and the Beanstalk
2018: Peter Pan
2019: Cinderella
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2021: Snow White and the Severn Dwarfs
2022: Aladdin
2023: Beauty and the Beast
2024: Jack and the Beanstalk
2025: Sleeping Beauty
2026: Peter Pan
1960/61: Humpty Dumpty
​
Cast
Wendy Bowman
1960
1965/66: Babes in the Wood
​
Cast
Frank Ifield
Gordon & Bunny Jay
1965
1968/69: Robin Hood
​
Cast
Richard Hearne
Mark Wynter
Len Howe
Christine Cassel
Joe Gandey
Brutus & Patra
Betty Smith
Barry J Gordon
1968
1970/71: Jack and the Beanstalk
​
Cast
Wendy Bowman
Carol Asti
Clifford Henry
Cathy Cota
1970
1971/72: Cinderella
​
Cast
Julie Rogers
Ray Fell
Jenny Maynard
1971
1972/73: Dick Whittington
​
Cast
Wendy Bowman
1972
1975/76: Cinderella
​
Cast
Clinton Ford
Vicki Lane
Pauline Whitaker
Maggie Palmer
Freddie Davies
Patsy Maclean
Joe Black
Michael Sanderson
1975
1976/77: Aladdin
​
Cast
Earl Robinson
Jane Terry
Don Smoothey
John Wade
Peter Goodwright
Susan Mosco
David Harrison
Eileen Todds
1976
1977/78: Babes in the Wood
​
Cast
Frank Ifield
Ken Roberts
Danny O'Dea
Susan Mosco
Geoffrey Reed
Peter Scott
Bob Denzar
Karen Halliday
Adrian Trustcott
Roger Kain
Michael Garland
Gordon & Bunny Jay
1977
1979/80: Dick Whittington
​
Cast
Basil Brush
Bert Weedon
Tom Mennard
Anthea Askey
The Simmons Brothers
Carol Saggar
Glyn Bailey
1979
1980/81: Sinbad the Sailor
​
Cast
Carl Wayne
Avril Angers
Ken Roberts
Alan Curtis
Roy Kean
Susan Gene
Juliet Vaughan
Derek Wright
Tricia Ryan
1980
1981/82: Cinderella
​​
Cast
Paul Henry
Susan Hanson
Don Estelle
Tom Mennard
Kent Baker
Janet Edis
Derek Wright
Ava Healy
Joy Launor Heyes
1981
1982/83: Babes in the Wood​
​
Cast
Windsor Davies
Melvyn Hayes
John Clegg
Joy Launor Hayes
Steve King
Carol Sagar
Derek Wright
Kathy Ryan
1982
1983/84: Jack and the Beanstalk
​
Cast
Nicholas Parsons
Geoffrey Hughes
Gordon & Bunny Jay
Colette Kelly
Derek Wright
Ava Healy
Michael Kilgarrif
David Purchase
June Shand
1983
1984/85: Mother Goose
​
Cast
Stanley Baxter
Janet Wantling
Vivien Ingham
Carol Sagar
John Ramage
Joy Launor Heyes
Kathy Ryan
Derek Wright
Clive Hopkins
1984
1985/86: The Sleeping Beauty
​
Cast
Paul Shane
Don Estelle
Joe Black
Carole Bianco
Joy Launor Heyes
with the Pom Pom Puppets
1985
1986/87: Humpty Dumpty
​
Cast
Keith Harris
Orville
Cuddles
Chris Corcoran
Ronnne Coyles
Derek Rutt
1986
1987/88: Aladdin
​
Cast
The Krankies
Lyn Paul
Willie Ross
1987
1988/89: Cinderella
​
Cast
Tom O'Connor
Jacqui Scott
Gordon & Bunny Jay
Reginald Marsh
Dooby Duck
Ted Robbins
Willie Ross
Alison Marsh
Rebecca Marsh
1988
1989/90: Jack and the Beanstalk
​
Cast
Les Dawson
Rose-Marie
Dooby Duck
Ken Layton
Peter Diamond
Ted Robbins
Vivienne McMaster
Simon Fox
Lee Morgan
Selina Joscelin
Lee Morgan
Spencer Morgan
1989
1990/91: Mother Goose
​
Cast
Peter Howitt (Bread)
Gordon Peters
Karl Denver
Billy Fane (Byker Grove)
Clare Sweeney (Brookside)
Dooby Duck
1990
1991/92: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
​
Cast
Alex Papps (Home and Away)
Nicole Dickson (Home and Away)
Mark Little (Neighbours)
Steve Colman
1991
1992/93: Cinderella
​
Cast
Alex Papps (Home and Away)
Mark Little (Neighbours)
Rebekah Elmaloglou (Neighbours) / Home and Away)
Steve Colman
Nicky Bolton
Kevin O'Keefe
Maxine Brown
1992
1993/94: Aladdin
​
Cast
Peter Dean (Eastenders)
Tina Thomsen (Home and Away)
Kate Richie (Home and Away)
Benjamin Mitchell (Neighbours)
Sue Lidell
Willi Ross
Billy Fane (Byker Grove)
David Marriner
Claire Reynolds
Kevin O'Keefe
Shadow (Gladiators)
1993
1994/95: Dick Whittington
​
Cast
Bill Maynard (Heartbeat)
Paul Leyshon (Hollyoaks)
Tricia Penrose (Heartbeat)
Shadow (Gladiators)
Sue Liddell
Maxie & Mitch
Amanda Lloyd Spencer
Lisa David
1994
1995/96: Sleeping Beauty
​
Cast
Ken Morley (Coronation Street)
Hunter (Gladiators)
Kate Copstick (Playschool)
Billy Fane (Byker Grove)
Victoria Murray
John B Kirtley
1995
1996/97: Babes in the Wood
​
Cast
Ian Kelsey (Emmerdale / Casualty)
Chris Greener
Billy Fane (Byker Grove)
Vogue (Gladiators)
​
John Alford pulled out of this production due to illness
1996
1997/98: Cinderella
​
Cast
John Pickard (2.4 Children)
Tonicha Jeronimo (Emmerdale)
Benjie McNair (Neighbours)
Cobra (Gladiators)
Billy Fane (Byker Grove)
1997
1998/99: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
​
Cast
Ant & Dec
Clare Buckfield (2.4 Children)
Ricky D
1998
1999/00: Aladdin​
​
Cast
Stuart Miles
Francine Lewis
Peter Thorne
Cobra (Gladiators)
Richard McCourt
Billy Hardy
Donald Scott
Maxie & Mitch
1999
2000/01: Sleeping Beauty
​
Cast
Craig Fairbrass
Tracey Coleman
Kate Copstick
Peter Thorne
Stephen Picton
Theresa O'Malley
Paul 'Goffy' Gouch
2000
2001/01: Peter Pan
​
Cast
Brian Blessed
Kirsten O'Brien
Hilderard Neil
Carl Johns
The Acraloons
Ian Stuart Robertson
Oliver Roll
Ian Edwards
Abigail Rosser
Caroline Lester
Laura Gallagher
Produced by Sound Business Limited
2001
2002/03: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
​
Cast
Danielle Nicholls
Aaron Bayley
Susan Maughan
Barnaby
Kenny Gibson
David Redgrave
Albert Wilkinson
Trevor Jones
Glynn Jones
Tony Cooper
Darren Horan
John Pedrick
Max Anin
Caroline Lester
Nicola Christian
Lisa Baker
Jenny Norton
Alan Byland
Mark Connell
David Richardson
Jonathan Fitzgerald
​
A Jim Davidson Production in association with Midas Entertainment
2002
2003/04: Cinderella
​
Cast
Darren Day
Jean Fergusson
Syd Little
Kate Heavenor
Gareth Owen
Simon Bashford
Mark Two
Tim Churchill
​
A Jim Davidson Production in association with Midas Entertainment
2003
2007/08: Cinderella
​
Cast
Mickey Rooney
Michelle Heaton
Les Dennis
Andy Scott Lee
Dale Meeks
Jan Rooney
Chris Dennis
Richard Pocock
​
A First Family Entertainment production
2007
2008/09: Aladdin
​
Cast
Paul Michael Glaser
Dale Meeks
Sheila Ferguson
Jennifer Hubilla
Anthony Kavanagh
Sam Bradshaw
James Foster
Jack Gow
Sophie Reid
A First Family Entertainment production written by George Wood
2008
2009/10: Peter Pan
​
Cast
John Challis
Steve Walls
James Baxter
Steve Luck
Keeren Rose Greener
Jessica Robinson
​
A First Family Entertainment production
adapted by Eric Potts
2009
2012/13: Peter Pan
​
Cast
Tom Lister
Sy Thomas
Katy Ashworth
Sarah-Jane Buckley
The Nitwits
Victoria Boden
Elisha Covell
Courtney-May Briggs
​
Produced by UK Production
2012
2013/14: Cinderella
​
Cast
Sherrie Hewson
Jamie Rickers
Amy Thompson
Owen Thompson
Bobbie Winderbank
Jamie Morris
Tarot Joseph
A UK Productions pantomime
2013
2014/15: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
​
Cast
Matt Lapinskas
Andrew Agnew
Su Pollard
Philip Meeks
Victoria Serra
​
A UK Productions pantomime
2014
2015/16: Aladdin
​
Cast
Alison Hammond
Terence Maynard
Derek Moran
Ian Good
Tom Whalley
Matthew Dale
A UK Productions pantomime
2015
2016/17: Sleeping Beauty
​
Cast
Andrew Agnew
Vicky Entwistle
Faye Tozer
Bobby Crush
Marcus Knibbs
Arthur Boan
Amy-Leigh Hickman
A UK Productions pantomime
2016
2017/18: Jack and the Beanstalk
​
Cast
Janine Duvitski
Bill Ward
Jade Natalie
Charlie Guest
Philip Meeks
A UK Productions pantomime
2017
2018/19: Peter Pan
​
Cast
Jamie Lomas
Melanie Walters
Richard McCourt
Josh Andrews
The Nitwits
Lauren Ferreira
Ruth Betteridge
A UK Productions pantomime
2018
2019/20: Cinderella
​
Cast
Scarlett Moffatt
Duncan Burt
Miss Rory
Gemma Naylor
Jon Moses
Tom Whalley
A UK Productions pantomime
2019
2021/22: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
​
Cast
Miss Rory
Tom Whalley
Su Pollard
Claire Maynard
Jonathan Carlton
​
A UK Productions pantomime
2021
2022/23: Aladdin
​
Cast
Miss Rory
Tom Whalley
Gary Lucy
A UK Productions pantomime
2022
2023: Beauty and the Beast
​
Cast
Charlie Hardwick
Olivia Birchenough
Miss Rory
Tom Whalley
​
A UK Productions Pantomime
2023
2024/25: Jack and the Beanstalk
​
Cast
Dame Rorna Trott: Miss Rory
Silly Simon: Tom Whalley
Matthew Wolfenden
Richard Meek
Emma Crossley
​
UK Pantomime Production
2024
2025/26: Sleeping Beauty
​
Cast
MISS RORY: Rorina the cleaner
Jordan Lee Davies: Carabosse
TOM WHALLEY: Vesta the Jester
LAURA MAIN: Fairy Snowfall (Call the Midwife)
DAVID RIBI: Prince Vincent (Milkshake)
PETER PEVERLEY: King
​
A UK Productions Pantomime
2025
2026/27: Peter Pan
​
Cast
Bradley Riches (Emmerdale): Peter Pan
Miss Rory: Rorina the Mermaid
Tom Whalley: Smee
​
A UK Pantomime Production
2026
