St. James Theatre, Auckland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James Theatre |
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Brochure of St James Theatre's opening
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| General information | |
| Type | Theatre |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial |
| Address | 314 Queen Street, Auckland |
| Coordinates | 36°51′05″S 174°45′52″E / 36.851273°S 174.764408°E |
| Designated: | 11 November 1988 |
| Reference #: | 4404 |
The St James Theatre is a very old and important theatre and cinema in Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand. It was built in 1928 by a designer named Henry Eli White. The theatre was first made for live shows called vaudeville, which were very popular back then.
Soon after it opened, the St James Theatre also started showing movies. For many years, it was used for both live performances and films. Sadly, the theatre was damaged by a fire in 2007. It has been closed since 2017, but exciting restoration work began in 2024 to bring it back to life.
The St James Theatre is recognized as a special historic building. It is listed as a category 1 building by Heritage New Zealand. This means it's one of the most important historic places in the country.
Contents
What the Theatre Looks Like
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The inside of the St James Theatre is a cool mix of old-fashioned theatre style and American cinema design. It has a Spanish Colonial look, with fancy marble steps and statues. You can see influences from both very old Victorian and Edwardian theatres, as well as newer American movie palaces.
The theatre has three levels of seating, so lots of people can watch a show or movie at once. The main entrance is on Queen Street, leading into a big, beautiful foyer made of terrazzo (a type of floor with chips of marble or other materials). There is also an exit onto Lorne Street.
History of St James Theatre
Building the Theatre
The St James Theatre was built in 1928. It replaced another theatre, the Fullers' Opera House on Wellesley Street, which had burned down two years earlier. Building the St James Theatre cost £80,000, which was a lot of money back then! It took only nine months to finish. When it first opened, it was called the 'New Opera House'. It was designed especially for vaudeville shows, which were still very popular.
In 1929, equipment for showing films was added. After that, the theatre started to show movies along with its live stage performances.
Famous Shows and Royal Visits
In 1935, Norman Hayward became the theatre's manager. Under his leadership, the St James Theatre got an important deal to show movies from Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer in Auckland.
Later, in 1945, a company called Kerridge Theatres bought the building. Kerridge brought back many live stage shows. Famous groups performed there, including the Bolshoi Ballet Company and the New Zealand Ballet Company. The theatre even hosted the Royal Variety Performance, a special show for royalty.
In 1953, the theatre's front (called the facade) and entrance area (called the vestibule) were updated. This was done for the visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during their tour of New Zealand. The Queen and Prince Philip were hosted at the St James Theatre during their visit.
Adding More Cinemas
Over the years, more cinemas were added to the St James Theatre building. The Odeon Cinema was added in 1957. It was special because it was the first public place in New Zealand to have full air conditioning! The Westend Cinema was added in 1966, and the Regent Theatre in 1982.
Fire and Restoration
In 2007, the theatre had to close after a fire caused damage to the building. In 2010, a group called St James Saviours was formed. They worked hard to convince people to help restore the theatre.
In 2014, the Auckland Notable Properties Trust took over ownership of the theatre. This Trust has put $15 million towards the restoration. The Auckland Council also gave $15 million in 2015–2016, and the New Zealand government added another $15 million in 2023. Thanks to all this support, the important restoration work on the St James Theatre began in 2024.
