Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Australia, refers to three

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 ...

s 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 and

Market Street, Sydney Market Street is a street in the city centre of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Sussex Street near Darling Harbour in the west, to Elizabeth Street at St. James railway station in the east. Market Street is located in t ...

, where

Westfield Sydney Westfield Sydney is a large, upmarket shopping centre in the Sydney central business district. It is located underneath the Sydney Tower and is located on Pitt Street Mall, adjacent to the MidCity, Glasshouse and near The Strand Arcade. Histo ...

stands today.Her Majesty's Theatre
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 wanted a long run for ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...

'', 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 Haymarket may refer to: Places Australia * Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia Germany * Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market) Russia * Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...

, at No. 107 (near

Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

). 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, lessees of Adelaide's Theatre Royal and the Melbourne

Opera House An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically fo ...

. They secured a long lease on a site in

Pitt Street, Sydney Pitt Street is a major street in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, New South Wales, Waterloo, although today's street ...

, 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 John Thomas Playfair (1832 – 15 November 1893) was an English-born Australian butcher, ship's providore, politician and benefactor. Early life John Thomas Playfair, known as Thomas Playfair, the eldest son of tailor Thomas Playfair a ...

in December 1884. The opening play was ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...

'', and lessee Rignold was the lead player. The Governor of New South Wales, 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 and

George Musgrove George Musgrove (21 January 1854 – 21 January 1916) was an English-born Australian theatre producer. Early life Musgrove was born at Surbiton, England, the son of Thomas John Watson Musgrove, an accountant, and his wife, Fanny Hodson, an act ...

took over in 1896. On Sunday 23 March 1902, a fire broke out. The asbestos 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, replaced by a new four-storey building on the Market Street site and a new

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 ...

style interior on the Pitt Street side behind the original facade designed by architect William Pitt. Financial pressures from a new amusement tax, competition from the new

talking movies ''Talking Movies'' is a top-rated film news programme broadcast on the BBC, which covers cinema around the world, including delivering reviews of the latest films and exclusive interviews with top Hollywood and international talent. The half-hour ...

and the economic climate led to the closure of the theatre on 10 June 1933. The last performance was ''

The Maid of the Mountains ''The Maid of the Mountains'', called in its original score a musical play, is an operetta or "Edwardian" musical comedy in three acts. The music was by Harold Fraser-Simson, with additional music by James W. Tate, lyrics by Harry Graham and ...

'', starring Gladys Moncrieff. Bulldozers moved in the next day and demolished the theatre. A Woolworths retail store opened on the site 22 March 1934.

Depictions

The $100 Australian banknote (in the background of the

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 ...

portrait) features an image of the interior of the theatre.$100 note
at Reserve Bank of Australia

References

External links

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