Barclay Theatre

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The Argus Newspaper (Melbourne, Vic) Wed 8 Jul 1908 Page 8 - THE KING’S THEATRE MELBOURNE GRAND OPENING.

MELBOURNE’S NEW PLAYHOUSE.

Convenient, comfortable, and capacious, the King’s Theatre in Russell-street, which is to be opened on Saturday night,(Sat July 11, 1908) should of itself be attractive. Finishing touches are now being given to the internal decorations by a large number of painters and paper hangers, and when the curtain is raised for the first time before Mr. William Anderson’s company, the scene should be one of much beauty. The building has the immense advantage, as a precaution against fire, of being isolated from all other buildings by wide rights of-way. In the front elevation there are large pilasters, with overhanging cornices and easement lead lights, while a metal tiled dome surmounts the right hand corner. Three entrances to the theatre are provided, in Russell-street. They lead to the dress circle and stalls, while the gallery or amphitheater can be approached from either side. Particular attention has been paid to the means of exit. The stalls are provided with four doors for this purpose, the dress circle with three, and there are three wide doors from the amphitheater.

The Interior

Throughout the interior of the building a good deal of fibrous plaster has been used in the decorations. It is first seen, and with excellent effect, in the ceiling of the vestibule. The vestibule floor is laid with black and white marble tiles, and a dado, picked out in three colors of Victorian marble, runs around the walls. The dress circle staircase, which is 11 ft wide, has been formed of solid white marble. A handsome effect has been produced in the embellishment of the dress circle crush room, the walls of which are papered in peacock blue and gold, while representations of commerce, mining, and the pastoral industry are depicted. From the crush room ladies & Gentlemen cloak rooms, the refreshment-room, and the manager’s room are reached.

Stalls, dress-circle

Stalls, dress circle, and gallery are comprised in the auditorium. While over the proscenium floats Aurora. accompanied by the children of Joy and Happiness. The figures are treated in soft flesh tints, and the background is of blue, while a tapestry effect is given by the use of threaded gold lines. In the pediment of the proscenium are four richly ornamented cluster columns. The whole of the decorative work in the front part of the house is full of strength and beauty. The fronts of the boxes are treated with floral devices, and over each a Cupid is shown with trumpet in hand. Sliding roofs have been introduced over the stage and the back gallery, as well as over the auditorium. The ventilating shaft in tile central portion of the roof is 22 ft in diameter. The fibrous plaster saucer surrounding tho center sliding roof is treated as a canopy. It is divided into eight panels, and each panel is decorated with heads in monochrome, groups of musical instruments, and shells brimming with flowers. The scats and balcony rail in the dress circle are upholstered with blue Utrecht velvet. Blue is also the color of the drop curtain, in the center of which there is the name of the theatre, surrounded by scroll-work in gold silk, and surmounted by a crown. A fire proof curtain in asbestos cloth separates the auditorium from the stage, when the theatre is not in use.

Seats 2,200 people

Ample means have also been taken to cope with an outbreak of fire. The theatre will seat 2,200 people, and accommodation is provided for 1,000 in the gallery alone, where there are seats with backs for “early door” patrons. A ladies' retiring room is also provided. The stage is particularly capacious. At the back is the scene-dock, double paint frame, property rooms, carpenter’s shop, and limelight room. Dressing rooms and wardrobes run for the whole four stories of the building on the light hand side of the stage. The electric light switchboard and dimmers are placed on the stage gallery, and from this position the whole of the 3,000 odd lights are controlled.

Built in 5 months

The theatre has been built for Mr. William Anderson by Mr. G. Gwillam, in the exceedingly fast time of a little over five months. Mr. W. Pitt, the architect, has personally supervised its erection. Its total cost will be about £32,000 – Contributed by Greg Lynch –