Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney,
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 ...
, refers to three
theatres of the same name.
One was a theatre which opened on 10 September 1887 and closed on 10 June 1933.
It was located on the corner of
Pitt
Pitt most commonly refers to:
*The University of Pittsburgh, commonly known as Pitt, a university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
**Pitt Panthers, the athletic teams of the University of Pittsburgh
* Pitt (surname), a surname o ...
and
Market Street, Sydney, where
Westfield Sydney stands today.
[Her Majesty's Theatre](_blank)
at History of Australian Theatre
The second was located in Quay Street, at the Bijou Lane corner. It had opened with the show ''
Sunny'' in 1927 as the
Empire Theatre. When
J. C. Williamson
James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company.
Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his fami ...
wanted a long run for ''
My Fair Lady'', they renamed the theatre Her Majesty's. The theatre barely survived the 1960s and was destroyed by fire.
The third was also located on Quay Street,
Haymarket, at No. 107 (near
Central Station). It opened on 30 November 1973
and closed in 2001 but is no longer standing. Apartments have been built on the site.
History
Her Majesty's Theatre 1887–1902
The original Her Majesty's had its origin in the partnership of
James Allison and
George Rignold
George Richard Rignold, born George Richard Rignall, (1839 – 16 December 1912) was an England, English-born actor, active in Britain and Australia.
Early life
Rignold was born in Birmingham, England. He was the son of William Rignall, an actor ...
,
lessees of Adelaide's
Theatre Royal and the Melbourne
Opera House.
They secured a long lease on a site in
Pitt Street, Sydney, and formed a company for the purpose of founding a theatre. The theatre was designed by architects Gustavus Alphonse Morell and John Edward Kemp.
The foundation stone was laid by
Sydney mayor Thomas Playfair in December 1884.
The opening play was ''
Henry V'', and lessee Rignold was the lead player. The
Governor of New South Wales
The governor of New South Wales is the viceregal representative of the Australian monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governors of the ...
,
Lord Carrington, attended the opening night, arriving with his wife in a carriage, with a military escort.
Rignold held the lease for eight years, his final production was ''Cloncarty'' on 21 September 1895. For a short period, Alfred Woods leased the theatre, then
J. C. Williamson
James Cassius Williamson (26 August 1845 – 6 July 1913) was an American actor and later Australia's foremost impresario, founding the J. C. Williamson's theatrical and production company.
Born in Pennsylvania, Williamson moved with his fami ...
and
George Musgrove took over in 1896.
[
On Sunday 23 March 1902, a fire broke out.]asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
safety curtain failed to operate and the interior of Her Majesty's was destroyed.
Her Majesty's Theatre 1902–1933
The theatre re-opened on 1 August 1903,Woolworths
Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to:
Businesses
* F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores
* Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...
retail store opened on the site 22 March 1934.
Depictions
The $100 Australian banknote (in the background of the Dame Nellie Melba portrait) features an image of the interior of the theatre.$100 note
at Reserve Bank of Australia
See also
*
List of destroyed heritage
References
External links
*
CC-By-SA ">Creative_Commons_license.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA /nowiki>
* CC-By-SA ">Creative_Commons_license.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA /nowiki>
* Facebook group "Remember 'Her Majesty's Theatre' Sydney" dedicated to remembering the 3rd theatre, contains lots of information and photos: https://www.facebook.com/rememberhermajestystheatre
{{Theatres in Sydney
Former theatres in Sydney
1887 establishments in Australia
Demolished buildings and structures in Sydney
Demolished theatres
1902 fires in Oceania
Buildings and structures demolished in 1933