Theatre Royal, Perth
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Theatre Royal and Metropole Hotel is a heritage-listed building in
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, Western Australia, located at 637–645 Hay Street. Both the hotel (also known as Hotel Metropole) and the theatre were built by businessman Thomas Molloy, completed in and respectively.


History

Local businessman Thomas Molloy was instrumental in attracting finance and commissioning some of Perth's early cultural buildings. Up until the 1890s, Perth had no theatres, and actors performed in either the
Perth Town Hall The Perth Town Hall, situated on the corner of Hay and Barrack streets in Perth, Western Australia, is the only town hall built by convicts in Australia. Upon completion it was the tallest structure in Perth. History Designed by Richard R ...
or in St George's Hall, described by ''
The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...
'' in 1891 as a place "where there is much that is unsuitable" and "the most significant proof of the old-time backwardness and poverty of Western Australia". At the time, Western Australia had 53,177 people—a figure that was to double within the next five years. On 20 September 1893, Molloy purchased Perth Lot F3 on the south side of what is now Hay Street Mall with the assistance of
Alexander Forrest Alexander Forrest CMG (22 September 1849 – 20 June 1901) was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, and later also a member of parliament. As a government surveyor, Forrest explored many areas of remote Western Australia, particula ...
, then the Mayor of Perth, and obtained a publican's licence a week later. In 1894, the Hotel Metropole was constructed on the site, and in February 1895, he announced plans for a 1,000-seat theatre to be built on land adjoining the hotel. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs A. Forrest on 8 May 1895, and the Theatre Royal opened on 19 April 1897. While its initial success was mixed, due mainly to the changing economic and demographic characteristics of Perth, by the 1930s it had become the most popular
picture theatre A movie theater (American English) or cinema (Commonwealth English), also known as a movie house, cinema hall, picture house, picture theater, the movies, the pictures, or simply theater, is a business that contains auditoriums for viewing fi ...
in Perth. Theatre Royal was the first venue in Australia to have Continental Wondergraph Company's new cinema technology demonstrated, in November 1909. It was the company's intention to have a limited season in Perth before proceeding to the
eastern states The eastern states of Australia are the states adjoining the east continental coastline of Australia. These are the mainland states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and the island state of Tasmania. The Australian Capital Territory a ...
, and it later established a
cinema chain A movie theater (American English) or cinema (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a movie house, cinema hall, picture house, picture theater, the movies, the pictures, or simply theater, is a business ...
in
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, South Australia. In 1934, the Grand Theatre Company acquired the lease of the Theatre Royal. This marked the end of live performances, and the exclusive use for cinematic shows. Refurbishments in 1939, costing approximately
£A The pound (Currency symbol, sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 Shilling (Australian ...
7,800, equivalent to in , modernised the venue, made it more suitable for film viewing, and contributed to its popularity. The theatre, but not the hotel, was purchased by City Theatres in 1954, and underwent further renovations in 1965, including the removal of the gallery and its supporting steel beam, which had spanned the entire width of the building. A curved screen was installed, along with a stereophonic sound system. The cinema was reopened by the Perth Lord Mayor Charles Veryard with a screening of ''
My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...
''. The Metropole Hotel was purchased by lingerie company
Sussan Sussan is an Australian women's fashion retailer, owned and operated by the Sussan Group (ARJ Holdings), who also own and operate Sportsgirl and Suzanne Grae. History The first Sussan store opened on Little Collins Street, Melbourne selling ...
in 1962, who extensively renovated the building. The ground floor was turned into an arcade with shopfronts, while large open spaces were created in the upper levels through the removal of interior walls. The Theatre Royal closed in 1977, and the ground floor was redeveloped into shops. In 1983,
Hoyts Cinemas The HOYTS Group of companies in Australia and New Zealand includes HOYTS Cinemas, a cinema chain, and Val Morgan, which sells advertising on cinema screens and digital billboards. The company was established by dentist Arthur Russell in Melbo ...
used the former dress circle as an additional fourth cinema, with direct access from their location in the adjacent St Martins Arcade. The heritage value of the Theatre Royal and Metropole Hotel has been officially recognised since the 1970s. It 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 ...
on 7 August 1978, and was given a permanent entry on the
Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...
on 28 September 1982. It was included as a permanent entry on the Register of Heritage Places on 1 October 1999.


Architecture

The Metropole Hotel was designed by
Henry Stirling Trigg Henry Stirling Trigg (1860–4 November 1919), also known as Harry, was a prominent Western Australian architect. He was the grandson of Henry Trigg (Superintendent of Public Works in Western Australia from 1839 to 1851), and the first arch ...
, a prominent architect during the gold rush era. It featured an American Romanesque style facade, underground cellar, and was three storeys tall. A vestibule, saloon bar, parlours and commercial spaces were located on the ground floor, while the first floor had a music saloon as well as drawing, dining, and billiards rooms. The upper level featured the guest lounge, sitting rooms, and bedrooms, with further bedrooms in the attic. The flat roof was used for concerts, and also held a water tank.
John Stuart Jackson John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...
was the architect for the Theatre Royal. Molloy chose Jackson due to his previous experience with theatres, having refurbished the Exhibition Theatre in Geelong after taking on the lease in 1883. The theatre was separated from the hotel by a right of way, but connected with verandahs and internal chambers. The facade was designed to match the hotel's facade, with intricate detailing. Ventilation was achieved via a sliding roof and air shafts. The building featured shops at the ground floor, to provide additional revenue, while the theatre spaces included a
proscenium A proscenium (, ) is the virtual vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame ...
stage, stalls, dress circle, gallery, vice-regal box, and an orchestra pit. It was also adorned by a 200 light crystal chandelier. The combined hotel and theatre complex was the largest commercial building in Perth when they were completed. However, they were soon in competition with the
Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1 ...
across the street, developed in 1916. The Savoy had a 1500-seat theatre at the rear of the property, a significantly larger capacity than the Theatre Royal, which could accommodate approximately 800 people.


Notes


References

{{subject bar , auto=y , portal1=Western Australia , portal2=Architecture , portal3=Modern history Historic hotels in Perth, Western Australia Theatres in Perth, Western Australia State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Perth Hay Street, Perth