The Queen's Theatre was a playhouse in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, the capital of

Victoria, Australia Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in Au ...

. Situated on Queen Street, it was Melbourne's first purpose-built venue for staging plays, musicals and opera.

History

Originally named the Queen's Theatre Royal, it was located on the north-east corner of Queen and Little Lonsdale streets or the south-west corner of Queen and Little Bourke streets. It was built for councillor, later mayor J. T. Smith, licensee of the Adelphi Hotel in Little Flinders Street and the architect was

Charles Laing Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

. It was opened on 21 April 1845 with a drama ''Bear Hunters (or) The Fatal Ravine''. The first manager was the actor Francis Nesbitt. Mr and Mrs

George Coppin George Selth Coppin (8 April 1819 – 14 March 1906) was a comic actor, a theatrical entrepreneur, a politician and a philanthropist, active in Australia.Sally O'Neill,Coppin, George Selth (1819–1906), '' Australian Dictionary of Biography'', ...

made their Australian debut there in 1845, in

Bulwer-Lytton Bulwer-Lytton is a surname, and may refer to: * Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–1873), novelist and politician * Rosina Bulwer Lytton (1802–1882), feminist writer and wife of Edward Bulwer-Lytton * Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of ...

's ''

The Lady of Lyons ''The Lady of Lyons; or, Love and Pride'', commonly known as ''The Lady of Lyons'', is a five act romantic melodrama written in 1838 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton. It was first produced in London at Covent Garden Theatre on 15 Februar ...

''. Johnny Hydes and

Charles Young Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

were joint lessees 1849–1854, then Young alone in 1855. G. V. Brooke made his first stage appearance in Australia at the Queen's Theatre in February 1855, playing

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

. The theatre proved too small, and while in Melbourne he laid the foundation-stone for the

Olympic Theatre The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout m ...

, on which stage he made his return appearance, later leasing the Theatre Royal in partnership with

. The building was demolished in 1922.

References

{{coord missing, Victoria (Australia) Former theatres in Melbourne 1845 establishments in Australia 1922 disestablishments in Australia Demolished buildings and structures in Melbourne Buildings and structures demolished in 1922