London's Hackney Empire is due to reopen after extensive redevelopment on 28 January, 2004.

Costing around £15m, the extensive theatre redevelopment followed a successful three-year fundraising campaign led by comedian Griff Rhys Jones, who personally pledged £250,000 to the project.

Other monies donated included a Heritage Lottery Fund of £3.85m, a £5m cash injection from the Arts Council and a £1.3m donation from local-born businessman, Sir Alan Sugar.

The Grade II listed property, which is now over 100 years old, narrowly escaped demolition in the 1980s.

The refurbishment took place in three main phases – the first of which concentrated on the Frank Matcham auditorium, foyer and bars, while the second phase focused on rebuilding the stage and dressing room with the last phase was concerned with restructuring the existing Pepys pub to incorporate it into the main theatre as a music and hospitality venue.