The Princess Theatre is a historic theatre in

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...

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 ...

History

Located on the corner of Brisbane Street and Earl Street, the Princess Theatre was commissioned and designed by Greek–Australian businessman

Marino Lucas Marinos Lekatsas (1869?–1931), known as Marino Lucas, was a Greek-Australian businessman in the construction industry and the operation of theatres. Originally from Greece, Lucas subsequently lived in Melbourne, Hobart and Launceston, Tasman ...

at a cost of £A15,000 in 1911. The Princess was designed to be used exclusively as a "picture palace" and held capacity for 1,770 patrons (700 seats in the front stalls, 500 seats in the back stalls, 450 seats in the dress circle and 120 in the orchestra pit). The stage was designed to accommodate first-class theatre productions, running the full width of the building, . The orchestra pit held ten professional musicians, known as the "Princess Symphony Orchestra". All the work, except the stamped metal ceilings, was completed by Messrs J & T Gunn in Launceston, including a feature Tasmanian Blackwood staircase, lighting, carpets and its proscenium, described in '' The Examiner'' as "strikingly handsome, bronze, gold wine colour, as well as delicate shades of green and blue". Launceston Princess Theatre 003

In 1939 the National Theatres Corporation hired architect Charles Neville Hollinshed to remodel The Princess Theatre, at a cost of £A11,000. Hollinshed had previously worked under

Thomas W. Lamb Thomas White Lamb (May 5th, 1870 – February 26th, 1942) was a Scottish-born, American architect. He was one of the foremost designers of theaters and cinemas in the 20th century. Career Born in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, Thomas W. La ...

in New York, contributing to the designs of the Capitol Theatre on Broadway and Albee Theatre in Brooklyn. The facade of the theatre was reconstructed, and the entrances altered and modernised. The Blackwood staircase was replaced, the central auditorium dome was removed and capacity was reduced by 150 patrons. In 1953, the Princess exhibited its first

3D film 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of special glasses worn by viewers. They have existed in some form since 1915, but had been largely relegated to a niche in the motion pict ...

, '' House of Wax'', the first 3D feature with

stereophonic sound Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

. At a conversion cost of £A10,000,

Cinemascope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

was installed at the Princess in 1954. The biblical epic ''

The Robe ''The Robe'' is a 1942 historical novel about the Crucifixion of Jesus, written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The book was one of the best-selling titles of the 1940s. It entered the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list in October 1942, four weeks late ...

'' was exhibited simultaneously at the Princess Theatre and

Prince of Wales Theatre, Hobart The Prince of Wales Theatre was a theatre on Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania from 1910 to 1987. History Designed by architect Douglas Salier, the Grand Empire Theatre was opened by the Hon. J. W. Evans on 31 December 1910 in the presence o ...

in October 1954, marking the first dual city film premiere in Tasmania. Due to the rise of television ownership, the next 14 years saw the Princess, neighbouring Majestic and Lyceum theatres operate with heavily reduced patronage. None of these venues would continue operations as cinemas into the 1970s. Newer cinematic experiences hindered the older venues; opening on 10 October 1957, the Village Drive-In at Mowbray Racecourse became the largest Drive-In in Tasmania with capacity for 877 cars. The Plaza Theatre on George Street was demolished in 1964. Following the sale of the National Theatre in 1969, the

Launceston City Council Launceston City Council (or City of Launceston) is a Local government in Australia, local government body in Tasmania, located in the city and surrounds of Launceston, Tasmania, Launceston in the north of the state. The Launceston local gov ...

purchased the nearby Princess Theatre for $71,000. It re-opened on 17 November 1970 as a live theatre venue with the Royal Australian Ballet. In attendance included Tasmanian Governor General

Sir Paul Hasluck Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck, (1 April 1905 – 9 January 1993) was an Australian statesman who served as the 17th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1969 to 1974. Prior to that, he was a Liberal Party politician, holding min ...

and British ballet dancer

Dame Peggy van Praagh Dame Margaret van Praagh (1 September 1910 – 15 January 1990) was a British ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher, repetiteur, producer, advocate and director, who spent much of her later career in Australia. Early life Peggy van Praagh ...

. The theatre has since hosted performances by

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

Slim Dusty Slim Dusty, AO MBE (born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon and one of the country's most awarded stars, ...

Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa , (; born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6 March 1944) is a retired New Zealand opera singer. She had a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced". Te ...

Harry Secombe Sir Harold Donald Secombe (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh comedian, actor, singer and television presenter. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'' (1951–1960), playing many characters, m ...

Little River Band Little River Band (LRB) are a rock band originally formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums rea ...

, Bo Diddly and

Leo Sayer Gerard Hugh "Leo" Sayer (born 21 May 1948) is an English-Australian singer and songwriter whose singing career has spanned five decades. He has been an Australian citizen and resident since 2009. Sayer launched his career in the United Kingdom ...

. The Launceston City Council formed the current operator, Theatre North, in 1998.

Earl Arts Centre

Located on Earl Street, the Earl Arts Centre opened in 1993 directly behind the Princess Theatre. A

black box theatre A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

accommodating 184 patrons, the theatre was designed for a variety of purposes, ranging from theatre and dance in an intimate setting, to film screenings and conference sessions.

Restoration plans

The Tasmanian Liberal Party announced a plan to invest $2.5 million to restore the Princess Theatre if the Federal Government was reelected in the 2022 elections.

References

{{Cinematic and theatrical buildings in Tasmania 1911 establishments in Australia Cinemas in Launceston Former cinemas City of Launceston Theatres in Tasmania History of Tasmania Streamline Moderne Cinemas Theatres completed in 1911

History

Earl Arts Centre

Restoration plans

See also

References