WAIT GOES ON: Volunteers and the venue's dementia-friendly choir at Empire Theatre in Halstead, which cannot now reopen A THEATRE’s hopes for a triumphant return have been dashed as new Tier 3 restrictions prevented it once again from reopening. Halstead’s Empire Theatre was set to open its doors to the public again this month after the pandemic forced it to close in March. Over the past few months, the dedicated volunteers of the Empire Theatre Trust had been working tirelessly to give the theatre an upgrade in anticipation for its reopening. With improvements such as a bigger screen and a new sound system, the group were hoping to see visitors on December 30 for a showing of Last Christmas.