Mayfair Theatre

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Mayfair Theatre

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Venue	Mayfair Theatre
Address	73 Castlereagh Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
Notes	Metropolitan
Related Venues	Also known as Fullers' National Theatre Also known as National Sporting Club
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Latitude \| Longitude	-33.869449 \| 151.209639
Events	Date Contributor Organisation
	Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Father's Day, 16 August 1978 A Little Night Exposure, 30 July 1978 Night Of Vaudeville, 29 January 1978 Musical Pantomime (Heidi), 8 January 1978 Godspell, 28 December 1977 Cleopatra, 5 December 1963 Funz-A-Poppin, 12 May 1939 Lau Fu Chung and his Troupe of Chinese Wonder Workers, 13 January 1939 Life Begins at 7.40, 9 June 1935
	Festival of Sydney Night Of Vaudeville, 29 January 1978 Musical Pantomime (Heidi), 8 January 1978 Godspell, 28 December 1977 Hilton Bonner Productions Godspell, 28 December 1977 L. S. Snider and G. B. Dean Funz-A-Poppin, 12 May 1939 Peter Williams Productions Pty Ltd Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Salicci Puppets Funz-A-Poppin, 12 May 1939 Sir Benjamin Fuller Funz-A-Poppin, 12 May 1939 Stuart Wagstaff Enterprises Father's Day, 16 August 1978 The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 The Independent Theatre Life Begins at 7.40, 9 June 1935 Twentieth Century Fox Cleopatra, 5 December 1963 Universal Attractions Corporation Australia Pty Limited Godspell, 28 December 1977
	Richard Anderson - Musical Director, Musician, Guitarist Godspell, 28 December 1977 Michael Bader - Stage Manager Godspell, 28 December 1977 Ron Barlow - Sound Designer Godspell, 28 December 1977 Hilton Bonner - Actor, Director Godspell, 28 December 1977 Richard Burton - Actor Cleopatra, 5 December 1963 Mal Carmont - Stage Director Godspell, 28 December 1977 Wally Carslaw - Musician, Bassist Godspell, 28 December 1977 Esther Clarke - Wardrobe Master / Mistress Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Colleen Clifford - Playwright A Little Night Exposure, 30 July 1978 Carole Cook - Actor Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Karen Corbett - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Joe De Abreu - Lighting Designer Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Wayne Dickson - Musician, Percussionist Godspell, 28 December 1977 Faye Donaldson - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Jennifer Dowd - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Kay Eklund - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Camille Gardner - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Denni Gordon - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Stefan Haag - Lighting Designer Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Anne Haddy - Actor Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Oliver Hailey - Playwright Father's Day, 16 August 1978 John Hall - Designer Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 John Hamblin - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Rex Harrison - Actor Cleopatra, 5 December 1963 Dale Hennesy - Designer Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Brian Hinselwood - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Greg Howard - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Sussanne Humphries - Costume Designer Godspell, 28 December 1977 Kay Kelton - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Greig Landeman - Sound Operator / Engineer Godspell, 28 December 1977 Fu Chung Lau - Producer Lau Fu Chung and his Troupe of Chinese Wonder Workers, 13 January 1939 Caz Lederman - Actor Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Donald MacDonald - Actor Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Joseph L Mankiewicz - Director Cleopatra, 5 December 1963 Berys Marsh - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Anne Marshall - Lighting Operator / Technician Godspell, 28 December 1977 Brian McLeod - Stage Director Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Stephen S Murray - Musician, Keyboardist Godspell, 28 December 1977 Peter Noble - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Cheryl Noonan - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Matthew O'Sullivan - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Tom Oliver - Actor Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Christopher Pate - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Royce Ryton - Playwright Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 June Salter - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 Stephen Schwartz - Music and Lyrics Godspell, 28 December 1977 Gai Smith - Actor Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978 George Spartels - Actor Godspell, 28 December 1977 Don Swonnell - Actor Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Elizabeth Taylor - Actor Cleopatra, 5 December 1963 John-Michael Tebelak - Creator Godspell, 28 December 1977 Katherine Thomson - Actor, Stage Manager, Assistant Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Tom Troupe - Director Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Louis Van Eyssen - Producer Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Stuart Wagstaff - Producer Father's Day, 16 August 1978 Walter Wanger - Producer Cleopatra, 5 December 1963 Patrick Ward - Actor Father's Day, 16 August 1978 John Weston - Lighting Designer Godspell, 28 December 1977 Peter Williams - Director Crown Matrimonial, 12 October 1978
Resources	Ross Thorne, Fullers' National Theatre, Companion To Theatre In Australia, 1995, 239 Theatre in Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Built as National Sporting Club 1902. Converted to theatre and opened as National Amphitheatre 26 December 1906, seating 1410 on one level. Renamed Fullers’ National Theatre 1912. Converted to two-level theatre 1919, seating 1382. Architect: Henry E. White. Renamed Roxy Theatre cinema 28 February 1930. Renamed Mayfair Theatre 1932. Demolished 1984. The National Sporting Club, with a large hall seating 2000 persons for boxing and other athletic entertainments, was built on the western side of Castlereagh Street, a little south of King Street, in 1902. In 1906 James Brennan converted the hall to a one-level theatre for variety performances and called it the National Amphitheatre. Fullers' took control of the Brennan Vaudeville Circuit in 1912 and renamed the house Fullers' National Theatre. The licensing authorities noted it as 'antiquated and dangerous' in June 1912 but rebuilding was not approved until September 1918. The architect Henry E. White converted the amphitheatre into a two-level theatre with twin stage boxes at each side on both levels. It had a shallow fly-tower stage. In the 1920s it was a popular vaudeville theatre. Fred Bluett, Mike Connors and Queenie Paul, Edgley and Dawe, Stiffy and Mo, and George Wallace performed there. But on 24 February 1930 the Sydney Morning Herald announced the end of Fullers' vaudeville and closure of the 'Nash'. Quickly redecorated, it reopened four days later as the Roxy Theatre, showing a film, Hollywood Revue. In February 1932 the Roxy briefly returned to live variety under Frank Neil, who was touring Ada Reeve. But at the end of the year Fullers' Theatres Ltd decided to show British films. The theatre, its auditorium refurbished in Art Deco style, was renamed the Mayfair. Later Hoyts Theatres bought the Mayfair and from the mid-1950s it showed major widescreen films. In 1977-78 there were live shows, including a revival of the rock musical Godspell, Q Theatre's rock show St Marys Kid and Peter Williams's production of Crown Matrimonial, starring June Salter and John Hamblin. After this rediscovery of its potential there were protests when demolition threatened the theatre and the NSW government indicated that efforts would be made to retain it. As usual, the protesters were lulled into false security. In 1980 the foyers and dress-circle stairs were converted into shops and in 1984 the building was demolished. Article: Ross Thorne, Fullers' National Theatre, Companion To Theatre In Australia, 1995, 239 Article: Ross Thorne, Mayfair Theatre, rossthorne.com, 2009 Websites / Online media: Ailsa McPherson, National Amphitheatre, Dictionary of Sydney Websites / Online media: Sydney Architecture - National Amphitheatre / Mayfair Theatre, Sydney Architecture
Venue Identifier	1444

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