St. James Theatre, Auckland facts for kids
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Lorne Street side (rear) of the St James Theatre, prior to demolition of adjacent buildings
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| Address | 314 Queen Street Auckland New Zealand |
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| Coordinates | 36°51′05″S 174°45′52″E / 36.851273°S 174.764408°E |
| Owner | Relianz Holdings |
| Capacity | \ |
| Current use | Theatre under restoration |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Closed | 2007 |
| Architect | Henry Eli White |
| Designated: | 11-Nov-1988 |
| Reference #: | 4404 |
The St James Theatre is a historic stage theatre and cinema. You can find it near Queen Street in Auckland, New Zealand. It was built in 1928 to replace an older theatre. The St James was first designed for live shows called vaudeville. Its architect, Henry Eli White, also designed many other famous theatres. These include the St James Theatre in Wellington and the State Theatre in Sydney.
The theatre has been closed since 2007. This happened after a fire made people worry about its safety. In 2014, a company called Relianz Holdings bought it. They plan to restore it, and the Auckland Council is helping with money. Buildings next to the theatre were pulled down by 2016. This made space for new apartments called the St James Suites. However, work on the theatre stopped in 2015. This was because funding for the apartments was lost.
The St James Theatre is very important to New Zealand's history. It is listed as a "Category I" historic place. This means it has "special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value." The New Zealand Historic Places Trust gives it this special rating.
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Building the St James Theatre
The St James Theatre was ordered by John Fuller and Sons Limited. They needed a new theatre because their old one, Fuller's Opera House, burned down in 1926. They bought the land on Queen Street for a lot of money. Building the theatre itself cost a lot too.
Construction finished in 1928. The theatre was first meant for live vaudeville shows. When it was done, Sir Benjamin Fuller, one of the owners, called it "the theatre perfect." The theatre's grand opening was on 5 July 1928. The London Musical Company performed a show called Archie.
Henry Eli White designed the St James Theatre. He worked for the owners, Sir Benjamin Fuller and his brother John Fuller. White designed many theatres in Australia and New Zealand. The Fullers owned many theatres and shops in both countries.
When the St James was designed, live shows like vaudeville were very popular. Vaudeville included music and comedy. But soon, "talking pictures" (movies with sound) became popular. So, the St James quickly added a film projector. This happened just 18 months after it opened. The St James has shown both live performances and movies over the years.
Changes Over Time
The St James Theatre has been changed several times since it was built. A year after it opened, movie projectors were added. This was because movies became so popular. Movies became a big part of the St James. The first movie shown there was Gold Diggers of Broadway. It was shown on Boxing Day in 1929.
In 1953, the outside of the building, called the facade, was updated. The entrance area, known as the vestibule, was also renovated. This was done for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. She attended a movie premiere there in December of that year. During these changes, the theatre's unique outside look was covered up. Metal sheets were put over it to make it look more modern.
However, the inside of the theatre still looks amazing. It has a Spanish-Renaissance style. The main hall has three levels of seats and special boxes. It has fancy lights and beautiful plaster decorations. Old and valuable parts include small statues, the patterned floor, and a grand marble staircase.
More changes happened later. In 1957, the Odeon Cinema was added to the theatre complex. It had 670 seats. In 1966, the Queen Street side of the building was changed again. The Westend Cinema was added in 1966, and the Regent Theatre was added in 1982.
Famous Shows and Performers
When it was open, the St James Theatre hosted many famous performers. Great actors like Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, and Ralph Richardson performed there. The Black and White Minstrel Show was performed in 1963. In 1972, the popular West End musical Charlie Girl came to the St James. It even had its original cast.
The 1981 Royal Command Performance was held at St James. This was for the visiting Queen Elizabeth II. Sir Howard Morrison also performed a special version of his song How Great Thou Art in te reo Māori. This performance helped him become very successful.
Why the Theatre Closed and What's Next
In 2007, a fire damaged the theatre. It has not been open to the public since then. Any new work to fix the building needs to make it strong enough for earthquakes. This is a rule from the Auckland City Council. This adds to the cost of fixing the theatre. In 2009, the Auckland City Council approved a 39-story apartment building next to the theatre. The owner of the St James, Paul Doole, said it would cost about $50 million to fix and reopen the theatre.
In 2010, there was an idea to fix the St James. It would be part of a new Convention Centre.
In 2014, Relianz Holdings bought the theatre. They said they would restore it. They also planned to build the St James Suites apartments next door. But by July 2019, repairs had stopped. A bank took back $90 million in funding for the apartment complex. The theatre needs to use paths and bathrooms in the apartment complex. So, the restoration work cannot continue until these problems are solved.
Why the St James is Important
The St James building is very important for its history and culture. The New Zealand Historic Places Trust calls it a "Category I" historic place. This means it has "special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value."
The St James has been a big part of Auckland's social life for almost 100 years. Many important movie and theatre events have happened there. It has also hosted many royal visits and special occasions.
Norman Hayward was the manager from 1935. He came from a family with a strong background in theatre and movies. Under Hayward, the St James felt even more like a theatre. People could listen to piano music in the lobby during breaks. They also watched weekly newsreels called 'The St James Airmail Review'. During this time, the St James became the main theatre for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movies in Auckland.
In 1945, Kerridge Theatres Ltd bought all the Fuller cinemas, including the St James. With Kerridge, live stage shows returned. These included Charlie Girl from London, which came over with its full cast. The Bolshoi Ballet Company also performed. New Zealand shows like the Royal Variety Performance and the New Zealand Ballet Company also played there. The theatre's large size made it possible to bring big shows to Auckland for 50 years. Of all the Queen Street theatres built for live shows, the St James is the only one left.
St James Saviours Group
The St James Saviours is a group that wants to save the theatre. It was started in 2010 by Bob Kerridge. He is the son of Sir Robert Kerridge, a past owner of the St James. Famous members include Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, and Alan Bennett. Over 7,000 people also support them on Facebook.
The former Auckland Mayor, Len Brown, is a supporter of the St James Saviours. In early 2011, he asked for a study to see if Auckland needed more places for performing arts. This study would help the Auckland Council decide where to invest money over the next 10 to 15 years.
In September 2012, David Hartnell MNZM became an Ambassador for the St James Saviours.
