His Majesty's Theatre is an

Edwardian Baroque Edwardian architecture is a Neo-Baroque architectural style that was popular in the British Empire during the Edwardian era (1901–1910). Architecture up to the year 1914 may also be included in this style. Description Edwardian architecture is ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia. Constructed from 1902 to 1904 during a period of great growth for the town, the theatre is located on the corner of Hay Street and King Street in Perth's central business district. At the time the theatre was opened, it was the largest theatre in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and had seating for over 2,500 people. It is also thought to be the first

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...

building constructed in Perth. Over its life, the theatre has hosted large-scale musicals, ballet, opera, Shakespearean plays and many other events. It has been renovated numerous times, most notably in the late 1970s when the State Government purchased it and performed an ornamental restoration whilst modernising the facilities provided. Since that time, it has been the home of the

West Australian Ballet West Australian Ballet is the State ballet company of Western Australia and is based in Perth, at the Western Australian Ballet Centre in Maylands. The company was founded in 1952 by Madame Kira Bousloff (formerly of the Ballets Russes) and ...

and

West Australian Opera West Australian Opera (WAO) is the principal opera company of Western Australia and is a resident company at His Majesty's Theatre, Perth. The company formed in 1967 and works in close association with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. It pr ...

companies, both of which perform regularly. The importance of His Majesty's Theatre to the cultural fabric of Western Australia has been recognised by its inclusion on the

State Register of Heritage Places The State Register of Heritage Places is the heritage register of historic sites in Western Australia deemed significant at the state level by the Heritage Council of Western Australia. History In the 1970s, following its establishment of the ...

and the

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heritag ...

. It has also been named a "State Heritage Icon", and is believed to be the only remaining working

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

theatre in Australia.

Construction

At the turn of the 20th century, Perth was experiencing a period of high growth as a result of the Western Australian

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

. The prosperity which resulted from this boom led to the construction of increasingly opulent

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

buildings. Local politician

Thomas Molloy Thomas George Anstruther Molloy (4 October 1852 – 16 February 1938) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Electoral district of Perth, Perth from 1892 until 1894, ...

had commissioned the Metropole Hotel in 1896 and adjoining 1200-seat Theatre Royal in 1897,

Hough Hough may refer to: * Hamstringing, or severing the Achilles tendon of an animal * the leg or Tibia, shin of an animal (in the Scots language), from which the dish potted hough is made * Hough (surname) Communities United Kingdom * Hough, Alderle ...

, p. 65 which included the first fully equipped theatre in the growing town. Soon after the completion of that complex, Molloy asked the same architect, William G. Wolf, to design an integrated theatre and hotel complex to be named ''His Majesty's Theatre and Hotel'' Gervas, p. 45 in honour of the recently crowned

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

. The site selected for this new theatre was the corner of King Street and Hay Street, which in 1896 had been home to "Ye Olde Englishe Faire". In June 1902, Molloy applied to the Perth Licensing Court for planning permission to construct the theatre, and when he finally received permission, he promised completion within a year.

, p. 73

His Majesty's Theatre, Perth under construction

A call for tenders to construct the complex was put out, and the winning tender was by Friederich Wilhelm Gustav Liebe, an immigrant from

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

who had previously constructed the Bulgarian Houses of Parliament in

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

and worked on the

Budapest Opera House The Hungarian State Opera House ( hu, Magyar Állami Operaház) is a neo-Renaissance opera house located in central Budapest, on Andrássy út. Originally known as the Hungarian Royal Opera House, it was designed by Miklós Ybl, a major figure of ...

. The tender price was £46,000, of which £43,000 was the cost of the building alone. The construction contract between Molloy and Liebe was signed in November 1902, and Heinrich Schmidt was appointed as foreman for Liebe. Deep excavation of the site for the building's foundations and basement started almost immediately.

, p. 75 During construction, questions were publicly raised about the stability of the building's foundations in light of the

water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. T ...

on the site and the presence of a subterranean stream. Liebe conferred with the architect and engineers before developing a revised design which featured drains to divert running water. Liebe presented the modified plans to Molloy and proceeded with them, assuming that he had the consent of Molloy. Gervas, pp. 45-46 Construction progressed, and the building was completed on schedule. When the time finally came for Molloy to pay Liebe for the construction, a dispute arose as to who should be liable for the extra £17,000 incurred in remedying the structural defect. Gervas, pp. 49-54 Molloy was reputed to be one of the most litigious businessmen in Perth, and refused to pay higher than the original agreed price, on the basis that the contract required his written approval for extra work to be carried out.

, p. 76 Liebe pursued him through the courts all the way to the High Court and

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

. The Privy Council eventually ruled in favour of Liebe, however the legal costs he had incurred were exorbitant. After resolving some last-minute objections by the Central Board of Health to the building's fire safety,

, p. 62 the theatre was officially opened at 8pm on

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

in 1904 by Sylvia Forrest in the presence of her uncle, former

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

John Forrest Sir John Forrest (22 August 1847 – 2 SeptemberSome sources give the date as 3 September 1918 1918) was an Australian explorer and politician. He was the first premier of Western Australia (1890–1901) and a long-serving cabinet minister i ...

. Opening night saw "Pollard's Adult Opera Company" performing ''The Forty Thieves'', however the choice of opening date was an unfortunate one and the opening night was not a sell-out.

Architecture

At the time of its opening, His Majesty's Theatre was the largest theatre in Australia, and also featured the country's largest stage and highest

fly tower A fly system, or theatrical rigging system, is a system of rope lines, blocks (pulleys), counterweights and related devices within a theater (structure), theater that enables a stage crew to fly (hoist) quickly, quietly and safely components suc ...

, p. 87 The complex was constructed with

, and was the first reinforced concrete building in Perth and, possibly, in Australia.

, p. 78 The structure is 4-

storey A storey (British English) or story (American English) is any level part of a building with a floor that could be used by people (for living, work, storage, recreation, etc.). Plurals for the word are ''storeys'' (UK) and ''stories'' (US). T ...

s tall, and its features were influenced by 19th-century English and European theatres. It has been described as "a fine example" of Federation Free Classical or

Edwardian Baroque architecture Edwardian architecture is a Neo-Baroque architectural style that was popular in the British Empire during the Edwardian era (1901–1910). Architecture up to the year 1914 may also be included in this style. Description Edwardian architecture is ...

His Majesty's Theatre, view of the auditorium from the gallery

The building as designed by Wolfe was grander than Molloy's Theatre Royal complex, and featured a 65-room hotel separated from the theatre by internal iron doors. The hotel had billiard rooms, parlours and six bars to serve the patrons of the theatre. The building used of iron and steel, 3.75 million locally made bricks, imported marble, Minton tiles and

Castlemaine Castlemaine may mean: * Castlemaine, Victoria, a town in Victoria, Australia ** Castlemaine Football Club, an Australian rules football club ** Castlemaine railway station * Castlemaine, County Kerry, a town in Ireland * Castlemaine Brewery, Western ...

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

. An electric

lift Lift or LIFT may refer to: Physical devices * Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods ** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop ** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobile ...

led to the roof, where an observation platform had panoramic views over the town. His Majesty's Theatre, Perth 1933 audience

The auditorium contained a

proscenium A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...

arch, with a raked stage in size. The auditorium measured , and its original capacity was 2584 people in three tiers. The interior of the theatre was a typical Edwardian horseshoe-shape to bring the audience closer to the performers. It featured stalls (seating 974), a dress circle (seating 540), an upper gallery (seating 1,074) and private boxes. The theatre incorporated several cooling features. Four small

waterfalls A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

were located on either side of the

arch, intended to cool the audience in tandem with electric fans and a retractable

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

in the ceiling. The dome was split down the middle, with each half sliding to either side to open. The dome was decorated in imitation of an

umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used ...

, with panels of gold and silver with scrollwork embellishment. The

artificial waterfall An artificial waterfall is a water feature or fountain which imitates a natural waterfall. Artificial waterfalls have long been featured in traditional Japanese gardens, where they can serve to highlight a scene or to provide focus. The classic ...

s were removed early in the life of the theatre. The exterior of the theatre was originally lined with two-level verandah balconies, which provided relief to the imposing walls. These were removed in 1947-48, because authorities considered that the proximity of the supporting pillars to the road constituted a traffic hazard. As a result, there is a disparity between the ornamentation at the top of the building's facade and the lower three storeys, which were previously obscured by the balconies.

Subsequent history and renovation

Over its first 70 years of life, His Majesty's played host to the traditional Shakespearean plays,

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

, political rallies, boxing matches and movie screenings. It was particularly noted for its excellent

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...

, p. 89 During World War II, the theatre functioned chiefly as a cinema due to travel restrictions on touring companies. Original proprietor Thomas Molloy leased the theatre to others, including Ben and John Fuller, and local producer Anita Fitzgerald.

, p. 86 Another lessee of the theatre, J. C. Williamson Ltd, is said to have made His Majesty's Theatre the Perth home of

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

. The theatre was renovated in 1912 at a cost of £9,000, and again in 1948 at a cost of £11,000.

, p. 34 The latter renovation included new backstage electrical fittings and may also have been the time the

verandah A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''veran ...

balconies were removed from the street frontage of the theatre. In 1952, the theatre was leased by the Edgley family and used for "Russian spectaculars". The theatre was redecorated for Edgley and Dawe in 1960, this time at a cost of £7,000. Edgley went on to purchase His Majesty's in 1969. After the

Perth Entertainment Centre The Perth Entertainment Centre was an indoor arena and cinema complex in Perth, Western Australia, located on Wellington Street at the northern edge of the Perth central business district. It was demolished as part of the Perth City Link projec ...

was completed in 1974, the Edgley productions shifted there, and the newly completed Perth Concert Hall was also favoured as a performance venue due to outdated equipment and general disrepair at His Majesty's. The theatre was sold in 1976 to Sir Norman Rydge. Following several years with an uncertain future and a public campaign to save it, in 1977 the theatre was bought by the

Government of Western Australia The Government of Western Australia, formally referred to as His Majesty's Government of Western Australia, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of Western Australia. It is also commonly referred to as the WA Government o ...

. Adhering to an April 1974 election promise to retain and restore the theatre in conjunction with a new

Art Gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...

and

Cultural Centre A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Asia * Cen ...

, in 1977 the

Charles Court Sir Charles Walter Michael Court, (29 September 1911 – 22 December 2007) was a Western Australian politician, and the 21st Premier of Western Australia from 1974 to 1982. He was a member of the Liberal Party. Early life Court's family e ...

Coalition Government undertook a A$10.5 million refurbishment. The final performance in the theatre before closing for renovation was the Gilbert and Sullivan Society's 25th anniversary production of ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

''. The refurbishment took three years and was overseen by architects Hill and Parkinson. The refurbishment saw significant structural changes made to the hotel/theatre complex. Initially, it was suggested that the theatre be largely remodelled to a two-tier

concert hall A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage that serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats. This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia, dramatic theatres or convention centres that may ...

design.

, p. 38 However, architect Peter S. Parkinson resisted this push to fundamentally alter the design of the theatre and a sympathetic restoration was instead favoured. Within the auditorium, it was found that the reinforced concrete floor of the stalls was substandard and was completely replaced.

, p. 34 Additionally, on one of the upper levels a wall was discovered which was not supported by a

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

in accordance with the building plans. The much-maligned supporting pillars were shifted back to improve sight-lines for the audience. The raked stage was replaced with a new flat one, and the proscenium arch widened by and decorated with plaster mouldings of the original arch. The pressed-metal ceiling was also replaced with a plaster-moulded copy. The sliding dome in the roof was permanently sealed, and redecorated to match its original design from 1904. The

orchestra pit An orchestra pit is the area in a theater (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music (such as opera and ballet) or in cases when incide ...

was also expanded and new lighting and counterweights installed. The hotel portion of the complex was separated from the theatre, and renovated to provide a home for the resident

and

, as well as backstage facilities for touring companies. A separate building was constructed to the rear of the theatre to house new dressing and rehearsal rooms, as well as a new

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

system. The theatre's grand marble staircase was relocated to provide a larger foyer. It had its marble treads replaced but retains the original balustrade. The former Sportsman's Bar of the hotel was converted to function as the theatre's new box office, and the side entrance from King Street was made an

emergency exit An emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked. ...

Soundproofing Soundproofing is any means of impeding sound propagation. There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, decoupling, using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound wav ...

was also installed within the building's walls to reduce traffic noise. During the renovation there was debate about the best way to manage the theatre in the future.

, pp. 45-49 The favoured option was to establish a trust to operate it, which could focus on best serving the arts rather than worrying about commercial viability of productions. However, on 8 February 1979, Premier Court announced that His Majesty's would be run by TVW Enterprises Ltd, the owner of the rival Perth Entertainment Centre. This led to public outcry over potential conflicts of interest, and in June 1979 TVW declined to manage the theatre. The

Perth Theatre Trust The Perth Theatre Trust is a statutory authority which manages and operates cultural venues in Western Australia. It manages His Majesty's Theatre, the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, the Subiaco Arts Centre (leased from the City of ...

was instead created, and it took over the running of the theatre. His Majesty's Theatre finally reopened on 28 May 1980, with a reduced seating capacity of 1250. His Majesty's Theatre has long been recognised as an important piece of Western Australia's history: in 1978 it was entered onto the

. On 8 April 1994, it was included as an interim entry on the

Western Australian Register of Heritage Places The State Register of Heritage Places is the heritage register of historic sites in Western Australia deemed significant at the state level by the Heritage Council of Western Australia. History In the 1970s, following its establishment of the ...

, before receiving a permanent entry on 16 December 1994. The theatre was named a State Heritage Icon in December 2004, and since February 2001 has housed a Museum of Performing Arts. In 2004 the theatre celebrated its centenary and events included the publications of David Hough's volume of history. In 2006 the theatre became 'twinned' with the only other remaining theatre of the same name in the world, His Majesty's Theatre in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Perth's His Majesty's Theatre is believed to be the only remaining working

theatre in Australia, and is presently managed on behalf of the Perth Theatre Trust by AEG Ogden, which also manages the Perth Concert Hall. In 2008, Savcor (a company which specialises in restoration techniques for concrete and steel) was contracted to do a detailed survey of His Majesty's Theatre. This survey revealed a number of defects on the facades that potentially rendered it unsafe. In 2010, a project involving the restoration of damaged cornices and corbels was carried out. Damaged decorations were replaced by using modern repair mortars which produced perfect reproductions. Mick Summers was in charge of crafting the ornate flowers around the façade. This was achieved with the help of latex moulds which were taken from the original form. Due to structural deterioration, many of the balconies had to be rebuilt completely. The balconies' many features, including clamshell base, curved profile and plaster features, required many different processes to recreate the original. Both latex moulding and traditional construction techniques were used to make sure the balconies remained durable. In December 2021, renovation work began to reinstate external balcony structures and return the 118-year-old building to its original façade. The Perth Theatre Trust said restoration of the balconies to their original splendour and upgrades of foyers would ensure the theatre remained a viable entertainment venue for future generations: "The extensive renovation will improve patron experience by enhancing the theatre’s main entrance and street precinct character; and extending internal foyer spaces to make them more accessible and functional". The canopy was removed and replaced with two levels of balconies designed to reflect Wolfe's intent. The balconies were constructed in sections and craned into place. They are more complex than the originals and can accomodate a variety of uses. The works were completed at the end of 2022.

Notable performances

In addition to being home to the

and the

, His Majesty's Theatre has hosted famous performers over the years, including:

, p. 208 *

Edouard Borovansky Edouard Borovansky (24 February 1902 – 18 December 1959) was a Czech-born Australian ballet dancer, choreographer and director. After touring with Anna Pavlova's company, he and his wife, Xenia, settled in Australia where they established the ...

– Czech-Australian ballet dancer, brought his "Borovansky Ballet Company" to Perth five times between 1945 and 1960; *

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...

– French-born American actress; *

Peter Cook Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, comedian, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishme ...

– English comedian, toured with Dudley Moore; *

Dame Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...

– English ballerina; *

Amelita Galli-Curci Amelita Galli-Curci (18 November 1882 – 26 November 1963) was an Italian coloratura soprano. She was one of the most popular operatic singers of the 20th century, with her recordings selling in large numbers. Early life She was born as A ...

– Italian

coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills. The term '' coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component o ...

; *

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

– American actress and singer, visited in 1964; *

Sir John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

– English actor and singer; *

Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...

– Australian-born pianist and composer; *

Sir Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End theatre, West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play ''French Without ...

– English actor; *

Sir Robert Helpmann Sir Robert Murray Helpmann Order of the British Empire, CBE ( Helpman, 9 April 1909 – 28 September 1986) was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he j ...

– Australian actor and dancer, starred with Katharine Hepburn in three Shakespeare plays in 1955; *

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

– American actress, starred with Sir Robert Helpmann in three Shakespeare plays in 1955; *

Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film prod ...

– Australian comedian and character actor, best known for his character

Dame Edna Everage Dame Edna Everage, often known simply as Dame Edna, is a character created and performed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, known for her lilac-coloured ("wisteria hue") hair and cat eye glasses ("face furniture"); her favourite flower, th ...

; *

Harry Lauder Sir Henry Lauder (; 4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950)Russell, Dave"Lauder, Sir Henry (1870–1950)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, January 2011, accessed 27 April 2014 was a S ...

– Scottish entertainer, performed in 1923; *

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

– English actress, starred in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' by the

Old Vic Company The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit organization, not-for-profit producing house, producing theatre in Waterloo, London, Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Th ...

in 1962; *

Dame Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano (three octaves). She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century ...

– Australian soprano; *

Gladys Moncrieff Gladys Moncrieff (13 April 1892 – 8 February 1976) was an Australian singer who was so successful in musical theatre and recordings that she became known as 'Australia's Queen of Song' and 'Our Glad'. Life and career Early years Moncrieff ...

– Australian singer and musical theatre actress; *

Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...

– English actor and comedian, toured with Peter Cook; *

Anna Pavlova Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20th ...

– Russian ballerina; *

Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy ...

– Australian actor; *

Dame Maggie Smith ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the British honours system and those of several other Commonwealth realms, such as Australia and New Zeala ...

– English actress; *

Dame Sybil Thorndike Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969. Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...

– English actress; and *

Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flintsh ...

– Welsh actor, starred as Charles Dickens in 1958. *

Sir Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

English Actor, Starred in Waiting for Godot in 2010. *

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

– American Actor, starred in Driving Miss Daisy in 2013. *

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

– British-American Actor, starred in Driving Miss Daisy in 2013.

Image gallery

File:His Majesty's Theatre, staircase view from first floor landing to ground floor.jpg, View of staircase from first floor landing to ground floor File:His Majesty's Theatre, Upper floor foyer.jpg, This ornate upper floor foyer features in many wedding photographs File:His Majesty's Theatre, inside of the cupola over the auditorium.jpg, The inside of the cupola is a major feature of the interior File:His Majesty's Theatre at Dusk exterior image by Robert Garvey.jpg, His Majesty's Theatre at Dusk exterior image by Robert Garvey File:HMT exterior. Photo by Shirley Knapp.jpg, HMT exterior. Photo by Shirley Knapp File:His Majesty's Theatre - Dress Circle Foyer - ROBERT GARVEY.jpg, His Majesty's Theatre - Dress Circle Foyer - ROBERT GARVEY File:His Majesty's Theatre - Stalls Foyer - ROBERT GARVEY.jpg, His Majesty's Theatre - Stalls Foyer - ROBERT GARVEY File:His Majesty's Theatre - Dome and Curtain - ROBERT GARVEY.jpg, His Majesty's Theatre - Dome and Curtain - ROBERT GARVEY File:His Majesty's Theatre, Perth in 1926.jpg, The theatre in 1926, showing the prominent balconies which dominated the lower portion of the facade File:His Majesty's Theatre, Perth 1932 audience.jpg, A 1932 audience in the theatre File:His Majesty's Theatre, Perth entrance.jpg, The main entrance to the theatre File:His Majesty's Theatre Perth balconies.jpg, External balconies following restoration.

References

Notes Sources * ("Gervas"). * ("Hough").

External links

*
Places database listing
for the theatre by the

Heritage Council of Western Australia The Heritage Council of Western Australia is the Government of Western Australia agency created to identify, conserve and promote places of cultural heritage significance in the state. Prior to its creation, considerable variance in policy and ...

{{Authority control Theatres completed in 1904 Theatres in Perth, Western Australia Landmarks in Perth, Western Australia State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Perth Edwardian architecture Federation style architecture Western Australian places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate Music venues in Perth, Western Australia Hay Street, Perth