This silk programme was printed for the Grand Opening Night of the Palace Theatre, Anlaby Road, Hull, 6 December 1897. This was one of the chain known then as the 'Liverpool, Leeds and Hull Empire Palaces Limited', the company owned by Horace Edward Moss. It was one of the chain of Moss Empires Variety Theatres that opened around the country between 1890 and 1912 when Moss died. There were 13 items of entertainment on offer for the opening: the overture Marco Spada by Auber; Nina Bainbridge, Juvenile Comedienne; Beattey and Bentley, Speciality Artistes; Captain Slingsby, Ventriloquist; Nellie Christie, 'The Female Stratto'; Salerno, Prince of Jugglers; The Phydoras, Musical Grotesques; Gus Elen, Famous Coster Singer; Lilian Lea, Ballad Vocalist; Glenroy Troupe; International Dancers; O'Malleys, Irish Comedians; and Rosie Elliott, Serio Comedienne. The audience is instructed that ‘owing to the extreme length of the programme’ they should ‘not indulge in indiscriminate encores’.