Dress Circle and Lounge.
With the seats re-covered from the original blue velvet in later years, the large but intimate balcony can be seen. In Australian usage, the balcony is usually divided into the Lounge for the front rows, often with wider and better upholstered seating at premium prices, and the Dress Circle behind it at lower prices. In turn, they were higher than those of the Back and Front Stalls which are our equivalent terms for sections of the American ‘Orchestra’ floor. The term ‘Dress Circle’ derives from the live theatre custom of wearing evening dress in this part of the balcony. While that may have been no longer the case, patrons up until the 1950s would certainly have worn their best clothing to go to the movies.
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