Princess Theatre (Melbourne) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Princess Theatre

Spring Street facade
Address	163 Spring Street Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Owner	Marriner Group
Designation	Victorian Heritage Register
Capacity	1,452
Construction
Opened	1854
Rebuilt	1886
Architect	William Pitt
Website
www.marrinergroup.com.au

The Princess Theatre is a famous theatre in Melbourne, Australia. It has 1,452 seats. It first opened in 1854 and was rebuilt in 1886. The theatre was designed by a well-known architect named William Pitt. It is the oldest theatre still standing on mainland Australia.

The building looks grand and fancy, showing off the rich "Marvellous Melbourne" period. It had cool new features for its time. These included modern electric stage lights. It also had the world's first sliding ceiling. This roof could open on warm nights, making it feel like an outdoor theatre.

The Princess Theatre is on Spring Street in Melbourne's theatre area. It is protected by the National Trust of Australia. It is also listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, which means it's a very important historical building.

Early Days: Astley's Amphitheatre

Astley's Amphitheatre, around the 1850s

The land where the Princess Theatre stands today was a busy entertainment spot back in 1854. This was during the Victorian Gold Rush, when many people came to Australia looking for gold. An Irish-American businessman, Tom Mooney, built a large, barn-like building there. He called it Astley's Amphitheatre.

This amphitheatre had a round area in the middle for horse shows. It also had a stage at one end for plays. Its name was inspired by a famous amphitheatre in London. The first person to rent it was George Lewis. He put on "grand concerts" starting in September 1854. But Lewis soon ran into money trouble. Mooney then sold the amphitheatre and a nearby hotel to Samuel Boyle.

Later, a famous actor and manager named George Coppin rented the theatre. Coppin was very important in Melbourne's theatre history. He built other theatres and managed many more.

Becoming the Princess's Theatre

The Inside of the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, in 1865. Samuel Calvert (State Library Victoria)

In 1857, the amphitheatre got a big makeover. Its front was made larger and more impressive. It reopened on April 16 as the Princess's Theatre and Opera House.

Its first manager was John Black. He had also started the Theatre Royal two years before. In 1877, L. M. Bayless took over the lease. He had the theatre completely refitted. It reopened on December 28, 1877, as the New Princess Theatre.

The Princess Theatre Today

Princess Theatre Melbourne around 1894

By 1885, three important theatre leaders took control. They were J. C. Williamson, George Musgrove, and Arthur Garner. The theatre building was getting old and worn out. So, they decided to pull it down and build a brand new one.

The new theatre was designed by architect William Pitt. The inside was designed by George Gordon. It was finished in 1886 and cost a lot of money. The design is very grand and fancy, in a style called Second Empire. It fits in well with the old buildings on Spring Street. The theatre reopened on December 18, 1886. It was simply called the Princess Theatre. The first show was The Mikado, a famous opera.

When it was new, the theatre had the best electric stage lighting. It also had Australia's first roof that could slide open. This helped keep the audience cool. The grand marble staircase and fancy foyers were said to be as beautiful as those in famous European opera houses.

A close-up of the roof

Over the years, the theatre changed owners several times. In 1901, the open balconies were enclosed. This created larger lounge areas called 'wintergardens'. These new areas had beautiful stained glass windows with pictures of famous music composers. William Pitt also designed these changes.

In 1922, the theatre was renovated again. A larger main entrance area was built. The main seating area was also updated. A grand copper awning was added outside. The New Princess Theatre reopened on December 26, 1922. The show was The O'Brien Girl.

In 1933, Francis Thring bought the theatre. He was a theatre and film producer. He put on many musicals there. He also started his radio station, 3XY, from the theatre in 1935. After Thring passed away, Sir Ben Fuller and Garnet Carroll took over. They bought the theatre together in 1946.

Stained glass window on the Princess Theatre exterior.

After Fuller's death in 1952, Carroll managed the theatre alone. For 12 years, he brought many different types of shows to the Princess. These included opera, ballet, musicals, and plays. In 1954, he hosted a special show for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Many famous groups performed there, like the Ballet Rambert and the Vienna Boys' Choir. Carroll also brought big American musicals to the theatre.

When Carroll passed away in 1964, his son John took over. But over time, the theatre was used less often. It started to fall apart.

Modern Era and Reopening

In 1986, David Marriner bought the theatre. He started a big project to fix it up. He wanted to make it look like it did in 1922. He also wanted to improve its technical equipment. The newly fixed theatre reopened on December 9, 1989. The first show was the musical Les Misérables. After that came The Phantom of the Opera. This show ran for a very long time, setting a new record for Victoria.

The Marriner Group still owns and runs the Princess Theatre today. It is a popular place for big musical theatre shows. Some of these include Beauty and the Beast, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, and The Book of Mormon.

The Australian show of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child started at the Princess Theatre in early 2019. It was the third place in the world to host this show. The theatre was fully updated inside and out in 2018 for this production. In its first year, it was the most successful show in Australian theatre history. Over 326,000 people came to see it. However, it had to stop for 49 weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When it reopened in February 2021, it was the first Harry Potter and the Cursed Child show to start again anywhere in the world.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child finished its run on Sunday, July 9, 2023. It became the longest-running play in Australian history. After the show closed, the theatre's main seating area was restored. It was brought back to its original 1922 colours.

Ghost Stories

Frederick Federici, around 1888

People have reported seeing a ghost at the Princess Theatre.

On March 3, 1888, a singer named Frederick Baker, also known as "Frederick Federici", was performing. He was playing the role of Mephistopheles in the opera Faust. At the end of the show, his character was supposed to sink through a trapdoor in the stage. As Federici was lowered down, he had a heart attack and passed away.

He never came back on stage to take his bows. But when the other actors were told what happened, they said he had been on stage with them for the bows. Since then, many people have claimed to see a ghostly figure in a fancy suit at the theatre. For many years, a seat in the third row of the dress circle was left empty in his honor.

Past Shows at the Princess Theatre

Notable productions at the Princess Theatre include:

The theatre has also been used for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.