Mayfair Theatre, Dunedin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayfair Theatre |
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The Mayfair Theatre in 2007
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| Former names | King Edward Picture Theatre |
| General information | |
| Type | Theatre |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | South Dunedin |
| Address | 100 King Edward Street |
| Town or city | Dunedin |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 45°53′34″S 170°29′54″E / 45.89272°S 170.49830°E |
| Completed | 1914 |
| Inaugurated | 7 December 1914 |
| Renovated | 1967 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Unreinforced masonry |
| Floor count | two |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Edward Walter Walden |
| Designated: | 5 December 2008 |
| Reference #: | 7786 |
The Mayfair Theatre in Dunedin, New Zealand, is a historic building. It first opened its doors on December 8, 1914. Back then, it was called the "King Edward Picture Theatre." Today, the Mayfair Theatre Charitable Trust owns it. It's a popular place for live shows, with about 400 seats. Many local groups and touring performers use it.
You can find the theatre on King Edward Street in South Dunedin. It's near a busy intersection called Cargill's Corner.
Contents
Mayfair Theatre: A Look Back
The Mayfair Theatre was built in 1914. It was specially designed to be a cinema. The King Edward Picture Theatre Company built it. Some important business people from Dunedin were part of this company. These included William and Mary Ann Hudson, who owned a candy company. Also involved were Charles Speight and the Greenslade brothers, who were known for their brewery, Speight's.
Edward Walter Walden is the architect officially linked to the building's design. However, many believe that Edmund Anscombe also played a big part. This was a new time for cinemas. Most live theatres had fan-shaped seating and deep stages. But the Mayfair had a rectangular shape, which was typical for early cinemas. It also had a smaller space behind the stage. The inside was decorated with amazing plasterwork by Robert Wardrop. This beautiful plasterwork is still a special feature today.
Changes Over Time
In 1934, the theatre was updated to play movies with sound. It was also renamed the Mayfair Theatre. The stage area was changed, and some plasterwork was redone. New stained glass windows were added during this update. Llewellyn E. Williams designed these changes. The theatre stopped showing movies on September 25, 1966.
In 1967, the Dunedin Opera Company bought the building. They turned it into a place for live shows. They reduced the number of seats from 862 to 413. This was done by removing seats on the ground floor. They also moved the stage forward to make it deeper. Since then, it has been used for live theatre, especially for opera performances.
By 2008, the Mayfair Theatre was one of the three oldest buildings in New Zealand. These buildings were originally built as cinemas. The other two are the Princess Theatre in Gore (built in 1913) and the Victoria Theatre in Devonport, Auckland (built in 1912).
Safety and Heritage
In 2008, a new fire alarm system was put in. It cost $20,000 and was paid for by donations from different charities. Before this, if there was a fire, they would say "Mr Sands to report to the dressing rooms." This was a secret code to tell people to leave. But the Fire Service said this was not allowed anymore.
On December 5, 2008, the theatre was officially recognized as a historic place. The New Zealand Historic Places Trust registered it as a Category II historic place. This means it is a building of special historical importance.
The Mayfair Theatre Today
In 2013, the Mayfair Theatre Charitable Trust was created. It was formed by members of the Dunedin Opera Company. The trust became a registered charity on October 15, 2013.
On June 30, 2014, the Dunedin Opera Company gave the Mayfair Theatre to the new trust. This was done to keep the two groups separate. The Opera Otago group could focus on performing opera. The theatre trust could focus on taking care of the Mayfair as a community venue.
