Everyman Palace Theatre

The Everyman is a theatre in Cork, Ireland. Its building opened in 1897 as the Cork Palace of Varieties, a sister theatre to the Empire Palace in Dublin. It later operated as The Palace Cinema from the 1930s until it closed as a cinema on 4th June 1988, and in 1990 became a working theatre again when Everyman Theatre Company took it on. The venue is a 650-seat listed building described as a jewel of late Victorian architecture, and it operates as a non-profit organisation with a mission to produce the best in Irish and international performance for Cork and Irish audiences.

On Easter Monday night, 19th April 1897, Dan Lowrey opened the doors of the Cork Palace of Varieties, a sister theatre to the Empire Palace in Dublin, which later became the Olympia. On the opening night the Chairman, Mr. John O'Connell, said it was "without question the prettiest, most commodious and best equipped place of entertainment in Ireland", and the following morning's Cork Examiner declared: "The Palace Theatre of Varieties entered its career with every assurance of prosperity." Variety programmes were initially the most popular entertainment of the day; soon variety acts were followed by pantomime, opera and drama, with touring repertory companies visiting weekly from the UK and further afield. Artists who performed at the Cork Palace of Varieties in this period include Charlie Chaplin, George Formby, Sandow the Strong Man, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Prices ranged from £1 for a box to 6d for a seat in the gallery, with the original entrance from St. Patrick's Quay. The First World War, the Spanish Flu and then the Irish Civil War brought the curtain down on variety shows, and as the 1920s progressed it became harder for touring companies to travel around the country and put on shows, leading to the decline of the Cork Palace of Varieties. With the advent of the 'talkies', The Palace became a cinema in the 1930s. The Palace Cinema – 'The House with the Perfect Sound' – served as one of the city's major cinemas for almost 50 years, and closed as a cinema on 4th June 1988 with the film Trains, Planes and Automobiles. In 1990, the listed building became a working theatre again when Everyman Theatre Company took on the challenge of saving it for its original theatrical purpose. The theatre is a 650-seat listed building and a jewel of late Victorian architecture, which celebrated its 123rd birthday in 2019.

A non-profit theatre aiming to be an internationally recognised centre of excellence for theatre in Ireland and a vibrant cultural centre for Cork.

Product categories. Theatre performances · Opera · Pantomime · Drama · Live music events

1. 1Welcome to The Everyman | The Everyman - Corkeverymancork.com
2. 2The Everyman History | Learn about The Everyman in Corkeverymancork.com
3. 3About Us | Our Mission & Values | The Everyman Corkeverymancork.com
4. 4Myra's Story | 13 – 14 Oct 2026everymancork.com
5. 5Everyman Palace Theatrewikidata.org