East End Theatre District
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]
Contents
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]
Current theatres
There are six surviving theatres that still exist within the East End:
- Princess Theatre
- Her Majesty's Theatre
- Regent Theatre
- Athenaeum Theatre
- Comedy Theatre
- Forum Theatre
East End theatres and current 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 | Current production | Type | Address | Capacity | Opened | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athenaeum Theatre | AT Management | Comedy venue | Comedy | 188 Collins Street | 880 | - | - |
| Comedy Theatre | Marriner Group | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | - | Cnr Exhibition & Lonsdale Streets | 997 | 23 March 2016 | 17 April 2016 |
| Forum Theatre | Marriner Group | Concert venue | Music | Cnr Flinders & Russell Streets | 1500 | - | - |
| Her Majesty's Theatre | Hayden Attractions | Singin' In The Rain* | Musical | 219 Exhibition Street | 1700 | 7 May 2016 | - |
| Princess Theatre | Marriner Group | Matilda the Musical | Musical | 163 Spring Street | 1488 | 13 March 2016 | - |
| Regent Theatre | Marriner Group | The Sound of Music* | Musical | 191 Collins Street | 2143 | 12 May 2016 | - |
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.
