All set - The Empire Theatre in all its glory .
“ It ’ s a really exciting time to be in Sunderland City Centre and we want to make sure we play our part in Sunderland being ever more vibrant , lively and connected ."
role , which includes acting as an engine of economic generation in the city .
The news of its September 2 reopening was swiftly followed by the announcement of big productions and eye-catching evenings in a packed line-up .
With shows direct from the West End such as School of Rock , Waitress and Dreamgirls , plus the return of popular musicals like Rocky Horror Show , Dolly Parton ’ s 9 to 5 and Jersey Boys , the Empire continues to bring the biggest musicals to the North-East .
The spectacular show The Lion , The Witch and the Wardrobe will run from the end of November into early December and will draw in audiences from across the region , packing out a venue whose capacity is just shy of 2,000 seats .
Comedians Jimmy Carr and Alan Carr , as well as showman Derren Brown , will draw big crowds too , along with the everpopular tribute band nights .
And then , throughout December , pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will pack ‘ em in , as the Empire pantomime always does .
Overseeing this return to form and financial recovery is a woman who could hardly be better placed to take the Empire forward .
Aged 42 , Sunderland born-and-bred Marie Nixon has accumulated a huge amount of life experience on and off stage .
By the time her teenage years were over , one career was already complete - as lead guitarist and vocalist with poppunk , alternative rock group Kenickie .
The Sunderland band made a brief but memorable splash in the music industry in the 90s .
“ It was an incredible time , playing , touring , travelling , appearing on Top of the Pops ,” Marie remembers . “ But we split up in 1998 before I was 20 .”
A career in the music industry in London followed with Sanctuary Records before she felt the pull of home in 2005 . She said : “ It was a time when the Sage was going up and the BALTIC was opening . I wanted to be part of the North-East culture and fulfilled that by joining Arts Council England .”
A sabbatical year spent with the Clore Fellowship in 2011 proved pivotal .
“ Clore takes you out of yourself and allows you to learn from the excellence of what others are doing in your sector across the world ,” she explains .
“ I was lucky to be part of it and I met brilliant people doing great things in New York , Jordan , Dublin and the North-East too , of course .
“ But what it really taught me more than anything was that my passion was for the North-East of England and for Sunderland in particular , enabling people from all different walks of life to experience , art , culture , creativity and personal development so they would have the richest lives possible .”
From the theoretical to the practical - time spent as chief executive of the University of Sunderland ’ s Students ’ Union saw Marie not only managing a seven-figure budget but also looking to help young people get the most out of their student experience on a daily basis . And then came the role of Empire theatre director , which looks like the role the former St Anthony ’ s schoolgirl has been on a journey to since she saw her first pantomime there at the age of five .
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