Her Majesty's Theatre Sydney 1960-

Theatre in Quay Street, opened 28 February 1927 as Empire Theatre, seating 2515. Architects: Kaberry and Chard. Closed mid-1929. Reopened 7 December 1929 as talkies cinema. Used for live theatre from 27 December 1948. Bought by J.C. Williamson's 1949. Closed for major alterations 1954. Reopened 10 June 1954, seating 1728. Renamed Her Majesty's Theatre 21 May 1960. Destroyed by fire 31 July 1970. New Her Majesty's Theatre opened 30 November 1973, seating 1492. Architects: John W. Roberts and S. A. Baggs.

The Empire Theatre - the third of that name in Sydney enriched the city after the Second World War by its very existence, though it was a mean house for performers and audience. The theatre had been built in 1926-27, with optimal capacity and minimal facilities, by Empire Theatres Ltd, whose governing director was Rufe Naylor. The building was designed on a diagonal axis across the site. The proscenium stage, with fly tower, was tucked into the southwest comer and a wide two-level auditorium fanned out to the opposite comer. There was a minimal entrance lobby but no foyer. Press reports claimed that the Empire housed 3000 persons, but it was licensed for 2515. It opened with the musical comedy Sunny. Marlow-Rolls Theatres Ltd took over the Empire in December 1928 but after six months of stage shows it was closed. At the end of 1929 it reopened as a talkies cinema. The lessees, Empire Talkies Ltd, bought the building in 1934 and dedicated it to B-pictures and second runs. 

After the Second World War there was a resurgence of theatre but a lack of venues. Most live theatres had been closed, demolished or converted to cinemas since 1929. To allow J.C. Williamson's to present an opera company at the Tivoli Theatre, the Tivoli Circuit went to the capacious Empire, then a poorly attended cinema, in December 1948 to stage its Christmas shows. These were Take a Bow, a twice-nightly revue starring Two-Ton Tessie O'Shea, and Babes in the Wood, a twice-daily pantomime with Rex Dawe and Jenny Howard. In 1949 J.C. Williamson's bought the Empire and opened it with a 53-week season by the Kiwis Revue Company. The hypnotist Franquin, Hellzapoppin, Oklahoma!, Ice Parade and a Gilbert and Sullivan season followed. The theatre was much altered in 1954. New side walls were installed to narrow the extremities of the auditorium, reducing the capacity. The proscenium was modified and traditional boxes were installed. A portion of the back stalls was walled off to become a stalls foyer.

Shows after the alterations included the musicals Can-Can, Kismet, The Land of Smiles, Paint Your Wagon and The Pajama Game. A change of name to Her Majesty's Theatre and more improvements in 1960 heralded the arrival of My Fair Lady. During the next decade the theatre also housed Camelot, Hello Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof and Funny Girl. During an opera season in 1970 fire destroyed the theatre.

The architects John W. Roberts and S. A. Baggs cleverly designed a new theatre on the tight site. They shifted the axis of the auditorium to run down the middle of the lot from front to back. To provide foyer space of modem standard they reduced the capacity of the stalls to 660, less than that of the 832-seat dress circle. They enlarged the stage, however, to some 26 metres wide by 14.3 metres deep, with a 12.2 metre-wide proscenium placed almost centrally. The new theatre opened with the musical A Little Night Music, with Taina Elg, Jill Perryman and Anna Russell. It had a slight downturn after J. C. Williamson's faded away and sold its properties, but it has remained a major commercial theatre, mostly presenting musicals.