Theatre Royal is an historic

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...

venue in central Hobart,

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. It is the oldest continually operating theatre in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

;

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

once called it "a dream of a theatre" and

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

launched a national appeal for its reconstruction in the 1940s.

History

1834–1856, Construction and early years

In 1834, Peter Degraves, founder of

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, and a group of Hobart citizens purchased dock-side land for the purpose of building a public theatre. Architect

John Lee Archer John Lee Archer (26 April 1791 near Chatham, Kent, England – 4 December 1852 in Stanley, Tasmania, Australia) was the Civil Engineer and Colonial Architect in Van Diemen's Land, serving from 1827 to 1838. During his tenure, Archer was resp ...

created a provincial Georgian design and the first stone was laid that year. The location was not ideal for future gentry audiences; it was in a rough and foul-smelling area near an

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, factories, and pubs. The architect accommodated the local population by creating an entrance through a neighbouring pub directly into the theatre's pit seating, colloquially known as "the Shades." When a national economic downturn caused most of the original investors to pull out, Degraves stepped in and took complete ownership. The building was completed, using convict labor in part, by the end of 1836. It staged its inaugural performances in March 1837; Thomas Morton's ''

Speed the Plough ''Speed the Plough'' is a five-act comedy by Thomas Morton, first performed in 1798 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden to great acclaim. It is mostly remembered today for the sake of the unseen character, Mrs Grundy. The play may have been i ...

'' and the W. Oxberry's ''The Spoiled Child''. In June, the theatre was formally named the "Royal Victoria Theatre" in honor of the coronation of the

Queen of the United Kingdom The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...

but it became known simply as "The Theatre Royal." During the period of Anne Clarke's tenure as manager (1840-1847), the theatre became renowned as a pioneer theatre institution in Australia for its high quality and Clarke was credited by the press with introducing 'a better class of performer and a superior style of management' and for giving theatre, which was then regarded as somewhat dubious, a better name.

1856–1911, Cockfights etc

Due to the neighbourhood, early performances tended towards cockfights, boxing, and religious meetings. The patrons of the Shades included visiting seamen and workers from the convict-laden Wapping area surrounding the theatre. They became known for their drunken and disruptive interactions with performers. Degraves undertook a major renovation in 1856 but it didn't improve bookings or offerings. Following Degraves' death in 1883, Richard Lewis purchased the theatre for £3222. For the next 40 years or so, Lewis made improvements to further attempt to upgrade the theatre's fashion. In 1911 the interior was completely rebuilt, creating the Louis Quatorze style auditorium there today. Designed by William Pitt from Melbourne, who specialised in theatres, the Shades was replaced with raked stalls seating, and a higher and steeper balcony was built above. The decoration featured red velvet upholstery, gilded highlights, and a crystal chandelier in a domed ceiling.

1911–1952, Decline and first major renovation

Despite continued attempts at maintaining the theatre, it declined over the next three decades. By the 1940s, the performers had to beware of holes in the stage, unsafe wiring, faulty heating, and cockroaches. Unsafe conditions eventually led to a planned demolition. In 1948, Sir

arrived in Hobart as part of the

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touring company and spoke passionately about the theatre, launching a national appeal;

"We appreciate playing in it not only because it is a beautiful little theatre; it is more than that. Your parents and grandparents have sat here as audience. Our parents have acted on this stage. In the one hundred and eleven years it has been played in it has built up atmosphere and the secret of atmosphere is antiquity. Don’t let it go."

His speech was effective. The state government purchased the theatre for £12,000 with the promise of restoration if matching funds were raised. An ambitious public campaign followed and by 1952, the renovations were completed. 'Royal boxes' had been installed specifically for an anticipated visit from then- Princess Elizabeth. King George's death curtailed the planned audience but the theatre re-opened on schedule. The updates were a success; the theatre was booked with frequent productions and became home to a new resident company.

1952–1986, Expansion and fire

The theatre enjoyed several successful decades marked with periodic structural updates. In the early 1980s, a A$1 million-dollar refurbishment was launched in honour of the theatre's 150-year anniversary. In addition to restoring much of the 1911 decorations, the backstage facilities were modernized and reconfigured to become the Backspace Theatre, a venue for cabaret and smaller local companies. The work was almost complete when, on 18 June 1984, a fire began backstage and spread to the main auditorium. In addition to structural damage to the roof, the water and smoke damage was extensive but was somewhat contained by a fire curtain that somewhat inexplicably fell across the stage. Most of the furniture, decoration, and technical equipment was damaged; only one painting survived. 'Australia's grand old lady of the theatre world' was quickly launched back into reconstruction, covered by a public fundraising appeal, adequate insurance and the State Government's assurance. However, it would take several years for the theatre to re-open.

1986–Current

The theatre completed its major refurbishment and reopened in March 1986. It re-established itself as a centre of Hobart's social life, thanks in part to government policies encouraging national touring of popular theatre shows. It presents an annual program that features live theatre, contemporary music, dance and entertainment. Since 1994, it has offered a subscription season and has seen both the number of performances and overall attendances increase steadily. The theatre has incorporated modern technology with the computerisation of the lighting control system and the installation of a computerised ticketing system.

Fred the Ghost

The theatre's mascot is a resident

ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to re ...

of a former actor who was allegedly killed during a fight in the basement. Known as "Fred", the theatre used the ghost for the first time in the 1984 restoration appeal.

References

External links

Theatre Royal
{{Authority control Landmarks in Hobart Buildings and structures in Hobart Culture in Hobart Theatres in Hobart Tasmanian Heritage Register