The Comedy Theatre is a 1003-seat theatre in Melbourne's East End Theatre District. It was built in 1928, and was designed in the Spanish style, with a Florentine-style exterior and wrought-iron balconies. It is located at 240 Exhibition Street, and diagonally opposite Her Majesty's Theatre.
The site at the corner of Lonsdale and Stephen streets was from June 1842 to October 1854 an entertainment venue, "Rowe's American Circus", where George Benjamin William Lewis gained his foothold in Australia. In December 1854 it was licensed as the "Royal Victoria Theatre",[3] then demolished, to be replaced by a prefabricated iron building imported from Manchester, England for George Coppin. Tentatively named "New Theatre",[4] it was christened on 11 June 1855 as "Coppin's Olympic Theatre",[5] and held its first theatrical performance on 30 July.[6] One of Melbourne's earliest play-houses, it was the venue of some of Gustavus Vaughan Brooke's greatest triumphs, but the "Iron Pot", as it came to be known,[7] was hot in summer and cold in winter[8] and was soon displaced by architecturally superior theatres, and was abandoned in 1894.
Opened on 28 April 1928,[1] the Comedy Theatre was built and operated for fifty years by J. C. Williamson's. Paul Dainty purchased the theatre in 1978 for $800,000.[9] Since 1996 the theatre has been owned and operated by Marriner Group.
Previous productionsedit
Previous notable productions and performers at the Comedy Theatre include:[10]
^ ab"Comedy Theatre Opening". The Argus. Melbourne. 28 April 1928. p. 26. Retrieved 4 December 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^"NEW MELBOURNE THEATRE". The Argus. Melbourne. 27 April 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 4 December 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^"New Theatre". The Age. Vol. I, no. 39. Victoria, Australia. 1 December 1854. p. 5. Retrieved 22 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"New Theatre in Lonsdale Street". The Age. Vol. I, no. 156. Victoria, Australia. 19 April 1855. p. 5. Retrieved 22 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 2522. Victoria, Australia. 9 June 1855. p. 8. Retrieved 22 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Coppin's Olympic Theatre". The Argus. Melbourne. 27 July 1855. p. 4. Retrieved 4 December 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Melbourne's Oldest Theatres". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 21 January 1930. p. 2. Retrieved 4 December 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Byone Days". The Australasian. Vol. XLI, no. 1063. Victoria, Australia. 14 August 1886. p. 8. Retrieved 22 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Theatre bought". The Canberra Times. Vol. 52, no. 15, 584. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 23 May 1978. p. 18. Retrieved 28 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"AusStage - Comedy Theatre". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
comedy, theatre, melbourne, comedy, theatre, 1003, seat, theatre, melbourne, east, theatre, district, built, 1928, designed, spanish, style, with, florentine, style, exterior, wrought, iron, balconies, located, exhibition, street, diagonally, opposite, majesty. The Comedy Theatre is a 1003 seat theatre in Melbourne s East End Theatre District It was built in 1928 and was designed in the Spanish style with a Florentine style exterior and wrought iron balconies It is located at 240 Exhibition Street and diagonally opposite Her Majesty s Theatre Comedy TheatreAddress240 Exhibition StreetMelbourneAustraliaCoordinates37 48 37 S 144 58 13 E 37 81028 S 144 97028 E 37 81028 144 97028OwnerMarriner GroupCapacity1003Opened28 April 1928 1 2 Websitewww wbr marrinergroup wbr com wbr auIt typically hosts commercial seasons of plays and smaller scale musicals as well as comedy and other entertainment events Contents 1 History 2 Previous productions 3 Gallery 4 References 5 External linksHistory editThe site at the corner of Lonsdale and Stephen streets was from June 1842 to October 1854 an entertainment venue Rowe s American Circus where George Benjamin William Lewis gained his foothold in Australia In December 1854 it was licensed as the Royal Victoria Theatre 3 then demolished to be replaced by a prefabricated iron building imported from Manchester England for George Coppin Tentatively named New Theatre 4 it was christened on 11 June 1855 as Coppin s Olympic Theatre 5 and held its first theatrical performance on 30 July 6 One of Melbourne s earliest play houses it was the venue of some of Gustavus Vaughan Brooke s greatest triumphs but the Iron Pot as it came to be known 7 was hot in summer and cold in winter 8 and was soon displaced by architecturally superior theatres and was abandoned in 1894 Opened on 28 April 1928 1 the Comedy Theatre was built and operated for fifty years by J C Williamson s Paul Dainty purchased the theatre in 1978 for 800 000 9 Since 1996 the theatre has been owned and operated by Marriner Group Previous productions editPrevious notable productions and performers at the Comedy Theatre include 10 1928 Our Betters 1945 Blithe Spirit 1946 The Kiwis Revue Company 1949 Born Yesterday 1950 A Streetcar Named Desire 1956 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll 1958 The Shifting Heart 1960 Phillip Street Revue 1961 Irma la Douce The Sentimental Bloke 1963 A Shot in the Dark Goodnight Mrs Puffin Mary Mary 1966 Barry Humphries The Boys from Syracuse The Odd Couple 1967 Half a Sixpence There s a Girl in My Soup 1968 Man of La Mancha 1969 The Boy Friend Your Own Thing Plaza Suite Canterbury Tales 1972 Jesus Christ Revolution Last of the Red Hot Lovers 1973 Godspell A Voyage Round My Father 1977 Side by Side by Sondheim 1980 Boy s Own McBeth Piaf A Star is Torn 1981 They re Playing Our Song The Dresser Chicago 1982 The Rocky Horror Show Candide One Mo Time 1983 Noises Off Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 1985 Little Shop of Horrors Stepping Out 1986 Brighton Beach Memoirs 1987 Nine Jerry s Girls 1988 The Rocky Horror Show Seven Little Australians 1990 Steaming 1992 The New Rocky Horror Show Return to the Forbidden Planet 1993 Aspects of Love High Society 1994 Blood Brothers 1995 Shirley Valentine An Inspector Calls Ken Hill s Phantom of the Opera 1997 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Trainspotting 1999 Rent 2002 Slava s Snowshow 2003 La Boheme Noises Off 2004 XXX 11 Carmen The Barber of Seville 2005 Menopause the Musical My Fair Lady Stuff Happens La Traviata 2006 Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks The Woman in Black 2007 Under Milk Wood Keating Alan Bennett s Talking Heads 2008 Boeing Boeing The Rocky Horror Show 2009 Stephen K Amos Find the Funny 12 Tripod 13 Dave Hughes is Handy 14 Avenue Q 2010 Wilful Misconduct 15 Waiting for Godot 16 Calendar Girls 2011 Rock of Ages 2012 Yes Prime Minister 17 Driving Miss Daisy Flowerchildren The Mamas and Papas Story Agatha Christie s The Mousetrap 2013 Slava s Snow Show Stomp 2014 The Rocky Horror Show Mother and Son The Last Confession 2015 The Rocky Horror Show 2016 Dawn French Thirty Million Minutes Little Shop of Horrors Fawlty Towers 2017 The Play That Goes Wrong Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs Blame it On Bianca Del Rio 2018 American Idiot Madiba the Musical 18 2019 Calamity Jane 33 Variations 19 Barnum Come from Away 2021 Come From Away return season 2022 Girl from the North Country Jagged Little Pill Six Come From Away return season A Christmas Carol 2023 Tick Tick Boom The Mousetrap 20 Once Midnight The Cinderella Musical 21 Winnie the Pooh The New Musical Adaptation 22 An Unfunny Evening With Tim Minchin And His Piano 23 A Christmas Carol return season 2024 Fantastic Mr Fox GaslightGallery edit nbsp Fresco nbsp Fresco detail nbsp Fresco detail nbsp Windows nbsp Theatre in December 2012References edit a b Comedy Theatre Opening The Argus Melbourne 28 April 1928 p 26 Retrieved 4 December 2012 via National Library of Australia NEW MELBOURNE THEATRE The Argus Melbourne 27 April 1928 p 11 Retrieved 4 December 2012 via National Library of Australia New Theatre The Age Vol I no 39 Victoria Australia 1 December 1854 p 5 Retrieved 22 August 2021 via National Library of Australia New Theatre in Lonsdale Street The Age Vol I no 156 Victoria Australia 19 April 1855 p 5 Retrieved 22 August 2021 via National Library of Australia Advertising The Argus Melbourne No 2522 Victoria Australia 9 June 1855 p 8 Retrieved 22 August 2021 via National Library of Australia Coppin s Olympic Theatre The Argus Melbourne 27 July 1855 p 4 Retrieved 4 December 2012 via National Library of Australia Melbourne s Oldest Theatres The Mercury Hobart Tasmania 21 January 1930 p 2 Retrieved 4 December 2012 via National Library of Australia Byone Days The Australasian Vol XLI no 1063 Victoria Australia 14 August 1886 p 8 Retrieved 22 August 2021 via National Library of Australia Theatre bought The Canberra Times Vol 52 no 15 584 Australian Capital Territory Australia 23 May 1978 p 18 Retrieved 28 April 2019 via National Library of Australia AusStage Comedy Theatre www ausstage edu au Retrieved 27 April 2019 AusStage AusStage AusStage AusStage AusStage AusStage Yes Prime Minister Cast Announced Stage Whispers Madiba the Musical Stage Whispers 33 Variations Comedy Theatre 12 March 2019 https www timeout com melbourne theatre the mousetrap https www timeout com melbourne theatre midnight the cinderella musical https concreteplayground com melbourne event winnie the pooh the new stage adaptation melbourne https www timeout com melbourne comedy tim minchinExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Comedy Theatre Melbourne Official website Comedy Theatre Melbourne Victorian Heritage Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Comedy Theatre Melbourne amp oldid 1214477814, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
