Sydney’s Theatres Parts 1 and 2

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Resource Text: Article
Title Sydney’s Theatres Parts 1 and 2
Creator Contributors
Abstract/Description These two articles were published by the long defunct journal Theatre Australia. The introduction mentions that in 140 years up to 1977, Sydney had “seen some two dozen commercial theatre sites in the Central Business District” but only two, built specifically for live theatre, still existed, even if much altered or rebuilt on the site. Part I is about the history of the site and building(s) of the Theatre Royal. It started life as the Prince of Wales in 1855, was burnt down in 1860, rebuilt, burnt down again in 1872, rebuilt as the Theatre Royal and partially destroyed in 1892. It was restored only to be considerably altered in 1921, and destroyed in 1972. The Save the Theatre Royal Committee was instrumental in having a new theatre built by the developers of this and adjacent sites. The second theatre described in Part 2 was the Her Majesty’s Theatre in Quay Street (near Central Station). It started life as the Empire Theatre in 1927 - an extraordinarily large capacity theatre for such a small and awkwardly shaped site. It was originally not very successful as a live venue and went over to showing films until the early 1950s. The theatre was refitted in 1953 when it reopened with the stage performance of South Pacific. In 1960 it was closed for reducing the size of the auditorium, reopening with My Fair Lady. It burnt down in 1970, and was rebuilt with a much-improved design for touring large musical theatre, and improved audience facilities.
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Source Theatre Australia, Theatre Publications, New Lambdon Heights, NSW, August 1976
Item URL
Volume 1
Issue 1 and 2
Page 22-23, 22-23
Date Issued November 1977
Language English
Citation Ross Thorne, Sydney’s Theatres Parts 1 and 2, Theatre Australia, 1, 1 and 2, November 1977, 22-23, 22-23
Data Set AusStage
Resource Identifier 55113