Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal, Hobart, is Australias oldest Theatre and the only example of the Victorian bijou style remaining in this country. The Theatre was originally built in 1834 by a consortium of business leaders with the aim of establishing a permanent theatre for the rapidly expanding colony. Opening in 1837, the Theatre offered its original patrons entertainment ranging from music hall to cock fights.

Since 1837 the Theatre Royal has been remodelled, refurbished and restored. The addition of the Gallery in the 1850s, new decoration to the auditorium in the 1890s and the extension of the fly tower in the 1980s are just a few of the contributions which successive generations of Tasmanians have made to their Theatre. Saved from demolition several times - most notably in the late 1940s when Sir Lawrence Olivier was among the many to leap to its defence - the Theatre has withstood a disastrous fire, public criticism and the rigours of age.