East End Theatre District
Coordinates: 37°48′45.8″S 144°58′10.3″E / 37.812722°S 144.969528°E
The East End Theatre District is a precinct within the Melbourne city centre, and is bounded by Spring Street, Flinders Street, Swanston Street, and Lonsdale Street. The district is home to six of Melbourne's major theatres, including the Princess Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, and the Regent Theatre.[1]
History
The East End of Melbourne was effectively formed by the Hoddle Grid, with Elizabeth Street the dividing line between east and west. The Hoddle Grid was laid out in 1837, following the founding of the Melbourne settlement in 1835.
Melbourne's first theatre, the Pavilion, was constructed adjacent to the Eagle Tavern on Bourke Street in 1842.[2] The second theatre, the Queen's, was also constructed as part of a pub, however it was, and remains, the only major theatre in Melbourne built west of Elizabeth Street.[2]
East End theatres
Six surviving theatres exist within the East End:
- Princess Theatre
- Her Majesty's Theatre
- Regent Theatre
- Athenaeum Theatre
- Comedy Theatre
- Forum Theatre
Current and upcoming productions
- If no show is currently running, the play listed is the next show planned (dates marked with an *).
- If the next show planned is not announced, the applicable columns are left blank.
| Theatre | Owner | Address | Capacity | Production | Type | Opened | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athenaeum Theatre | AT Management | 188 Collins Street | 880 | Comedy venue | Comedy | - | - |
| Comedy Theatre | Marriner Group | Cnr Exhibition & Lonsdale Streets | 997 | The Play That Goes Wrong* | Play | 22 February 2017 | - |
| Forum Theatre | Marriner Group | Cnr Flinders & Russell Streets | 1500 | Concert venue | Music | - | - |
| Her Majesty's Theatre | Hayden Attractions | 219 Exhibition Street | 1700 | Kinky Boots | Musical | 12 October 2016 | - |
| Aladdin* | Musical | 26 April 2017 | - | ||||
| Princess Theatre | Marriner Group | 163 Spring Street | 1488 | Matilda the Musical | Musical | 13 March 2016 | 11 November 2016 |
| The Book of Mormon* | Musical | 18 January 2017 | - | ||||
| Regent Theatre | Marriner Group | 191 Collins Street | 2143 | Circus 1903* | Circus | 3 January 2017 | 12 January 2017 |
| Ladies in Black* | Musical | 25 February 2017 | 18 March 2017 | ||||
| My Fair Lady* | Musical | 12 May 2017 | - |
Historic theatres
The East End has been home to over 25 different theatres since 1841. Some of the major theatres are listed below.
| Theatre | Address | Year Opened | Year Closed | Year Rebuilt | Year Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavilion | Cnr Swanston St and Elizabeth St | 1841 | 1845 | - | - |
| Queen's* | Cnr Queen St and Little Bourke St | 1845 | 1856 | - | - |
| Theatre Royal | 232 Bourke St | 1855 | 1872 | 1872 | 1933 |
| Olympic (the "Iron Pot") | Cnr Exhibition St and Lonsdale St | 1855 | 1860 | - | - |
| Haymarket | 133 Bourke St | 1862 | 1871 | - | - |
| Prince of Wales Opera House | 249 Bourke St | 1872 | 1898 | - | - |
| Bijou | 225 Bourke St | 1876 | 1889 | 1890 | 1934 |
| Tivoli | 249 Bourke St | 1901 | 1966 | - | - |
| King's | 131 Russell St | 1908 | 1976 | - | - |
| Palace | 20 Bourke St | 1912 | Currently closed | - | - |
| Auditorium | 171 Collins St | 1913 | 1934 | - | - |
- The Queen's Theatre is the only theatre to be built in Melbourne's CBD outside of the East End.
Economic impact
In July 2016, the East End Theatre District was reported to have made an economic contribution of $692 million, and an economic impact of $226 million, to the state of Victoria.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ "Melbourne celebrates the newly named East End Theatre District". Theatre People. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- 1 2 "Theatre - Entry - eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online". Emelbourne.net.au. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ↑ http://www.artshub.com.au/news-article/news/research-and-data/performing-arts-editor/singing-and-dancing-to-the-tune-of-226-million-251705