Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne

Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1,700-seat theatre in Melbourne's East End Theatre District, Australia. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

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 as a venue for entertainment was in 1880 when tiered seating was constructed and an open-air 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 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, 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'', was performed, as was Saturday afternoon wrestling and a season of Italian opera.

The early days of the "Alec" (as it became known) were problematic. Joubert had spent almost twice his original budget on construction and was 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, 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 60cm. and the stalls and orchestra pit were raised by almost 30cm. The Dress Circle was remodeled and new boxes were added. Seats were re-upholstered, re-painting was carried out and a new stage curtain and lighting were installed. The theatre, re-vamped and re-christened Her Majesty's Theatre in honour of Queen Victoria, re-opened with a production of Gilbert & Sullivan's '' HMS Pinafore'' on 19 May.

In 1909, after a private sound test, Dame Nellie Melba, 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, 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. However, the company he had established with Her Majesty's Theatre as its flagship continued to prosper, featuring the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan as staple farewell into the 1920s.

In 1929 the interior of the theatre was gutted by fire. It was not until 1934 that the interior was rebuilt in an Art Deco style 1934 designed by architects C N Hollinshead and Albion Walkley, leading Australian theatre specialists, with Hugh Vivian Taylor as a sound consultant to the design. Technological advances were incorporated such as heating, cooling and humidity control as well as cyclorama lighting effects managed from a central control board. Within three years of the re-opening the theatre had successfully staged musical comedy, grand opera, Gilbert & Sullivan opera and ballet. In the postwar period, it was the Melbourne home of the Borovansky Ballet Company for 17 years, and was also used for the Elizabethan Trust Opera Company (now the Australian Opera).

The name change from the Alexandra to Her Majesty's Theatre occurred eight months before the death of Queen Victoria in 1900. 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. It reverted to Her Majesty's in May 1953, in time for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. As of July 2023, it remained as Her Majesty's despite the accession of King Charles III in September 2022.

Despite the changes in identity, the theatre consistently played host to the world's best artists and shows. The legendary Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, captivated Australian crowds at performances in 1926 and 1929.

Previous productions

Previous notable productions at Her Majesty's include:

References

External links

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Theatres in Melbourne
Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre
Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne
1886 establishments in Australia
Art Deco architecture in Melbourne
Art Nouveau architecture in Melbourne
Landmarks in Melbourne