ABOUT
Founded by brothers Vaiben and Emanuel Solomon, the Queen’s Theatre is the oldest surviving theatre in mainland Australia. Since 2018, it has been managed by GWB McFarlane Theatres.
The theatre cost £10,000 to build in 1840 and had seating for 1000 people. The opening performance of Othello took place in January 1841.
In 1850 the Queen’s Theatre was remodelled with a new Georgian facade and re-opened in December that year as the Royal Victoria Theatre. A year later it closed again, due to a mass exodus of South Australians to the Victorian goldfields.
In 1859 more renovations were undertaken and another attempt made to operate a theatre from the site. However, competition from the newly-opened Theatre Royal on Hindley Street in April 1868 effectively sealed its fate, and the Queen’s Theatre closed its doors yet again later that year.
Between 1868 and 1973 the building was adapted for a variety of non-theatrical uses. It operated as the City Mission from 1872 until 1876 and as Formby’s Horse Bazaar from 1877 until shortly after the turn of the 20th century.
From 1908 until 1928, the sales yards, livery, stables and forge owned by J.W. Shannon utilised the premises.
It changed hands three more times between 1933 and 1973, operating as McPherson’s Store and Warehouse, Dalgety’s Factory and Store, and McPherson’s Showroom, respectively.
Proposed development of the site during the late 1980s prompted an archaeological excavation that uncovered extensive sub-surface remnants of the former Queen’s Theatre.
These features included dressing rooms and the orchestra pit. The site’s heritage significance prompted the South Australian Government to negotiate for its ownership during the 1990s and, upon acquiring the property, initiated efforts to conserve its surviving heritage architecture.
Today, the shell of the original theatre still stands within the 1850s facade of the Royal Victoria Theatre.
Since 1996 the building has once again been used as a venue for performances, but also frequently hosts non-theatrical events.
For enquiries and events bookings, phone 8361 8888.