Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1,700-seat

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 ...

in Melbourne's

East End Theatre District The East End Theatre District is a precinct within the Melbourne central business district, and is bounded by Spring Street, Flinders Street, Swanston Street and Lonsdale Street. The district is home to seven major theatres, including the Princ ...

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 ...

. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street,

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 ...

. It is classified by the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

and is listed on the

Victorian Heritage Register The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. H ...

. Purchased in 2000 by Mike Walsh, the theatre was restored and refitted to accommodate larger productions.

History

The first recorded use of the area near the corner of Stephen (now known as Exhibition) Street and

Little Bourke Street Little Bourke Street (abbreviated to Lt. Bourke St) in Melbourne's CBD runs roughly east–west within the Hoddle Grid. It is a one-way street heading in a westward direction. The street intersects with Spencer Street at its western end and ...

as a venue for entertainment was in 1880, when tiered seating was constructed and an openair venue for circuses and equestrian shows established. The Hippodrome lasted four years before the French born entrepreneur, Jules François de Sales Joubert, secured a 30-year lease on the site and commissioned architect

Nahum Barnet Nahum Barnet (16 August 1855 – 1 September 1931) was an architect working in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Barnet was born in the Melbourne Hospital on Swanston Street, the son of a Polish-born ...

to design a theatre, business and accommodation complex. In 1886, work on Joubert's project was completed. On 1 October, the Alexandra Theatre opened. Named after the then Princess of Wales, wife of the future

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 theatre was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, boasting a capacity of 2,800. The very first show staged was the comedy, ''Bad Lads''. Also in the first year, the Australian classic, ''

For the Term of His Natural Life ''For the Term of His Natural Life'' is a story written by Marcus Clarke and published in ''The Australian Journal'' between 1870 and 1872 (as ''His Natural Life''). It was published as a novel in 1874 and is the best known novelisation of life ...

'', was performed, as was Saturday afternoon wrestling and a season of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

opera. The early days of the "Alec" (as it became known) were problematic. Joubert had spent almost twice his original budget on construction and had been unable to obtain the required operating licences for the hotel, bars and cafes of the complex. By November 1887, he was insolvent. Early in 1888, the renowned actor and playwright,

Alfred Dampier Alfred Dampier (28 February 1843? 1847? – 23 May 1908) was an English-born actor-manager and playwright, active in Australia.John Rickard,Dampier, Alfred (1843–1908), ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Vol. 4, Melbourne University Pres ...

, leased the theatre and introduced a successful programming and pricing formula. The "Alec" prospered. In 1900, well-known expatriate American theatrical producer, James Cassius Williamson, took over the lease of the theatre and engaged architect William Pitt to supervise renovations. The stage was lowered by 60 centimetres and the stalls and orchestra pit raised by almost 30 centimetres. The Dress Circle was remodelled and new boxes added. Seats were re-upholstered, re-painting carried out and a new stage curtain and new stage lighting installed. The theatre, re-vamped and re-christened Her Majesty's Theatre in honour of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

, re-opened with a production of

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

’s ''HMS Pinafore'' on 19 May. In 1909, after a private sound test,

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 centur ...

, by then an international star, declared that the theatre’s acoustics were "dead" and that she would not perform unless they were altered. Further renovations to the theatre's interior were carried out in time for Dame Nellie to hold her Australian opera debut in November 1911. On 6 July 1913, J. C. Williamson – the biggest theatrical entrepreneur in the world at the time – died at the age of 68. As a mark of respect, all the Williamson theatres ‘were dark’ for one night, a rare tribute. The company he had established with Her Majesty's Theatre as its flagship however, continued to prosper, featuring the operettas of

as staple fare well into the 1920s. The name change from the Alexandra to Her Majesty's Theatre occurred eight months before the death of Queen Victoria. The theatre management maintained the name despite there now being a King on the throne. In 1924, the theatre was renamed again as His Majesty's Theatre, this time in honour of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

, after whose mother, the original theatre had been named. It would revert to "Her Majesty's" in May 1953, in time for the coronation of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. Despite the changes in identity, the theatre consistently played host to the world's best artists and shows. The legendary

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

n ballerina,

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 ...

, captivated Australian crowds at performances in 1926 and 1929.

Previous productions

Previous notable productions at Her Majesty's include:

References

External links

* {{Authority control Theatres in Melbourne Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne 1886 establishments in Australia Art Deco architecture in Melbourne Landmarks in Melbourne