THE KING'S THEATRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 766, 15 March 1910, Page 6

THE KING'S THEATRE.

■ —.—« TO BE OPENED TO-MORROW NIGHT. A 'RETROSPECT. After many years Wellington is being given another, theatre—the New King's Theatre in Taranaki Place, which is to be opened to-morrow evening. ■ The history of theatres in Wellington can be summed up in a few words. In the very early day? when Die world was wide—the '40's—Wellington's, sparse population were wont lo nimble in the social roojri in Barrett's Hotel, where by the dim uncertain light of whale-oil lamps the itinerant artist—they were tint' many—would display' his tnlent in song and story. The old Empire Hotel a little later made. provision for the stately quadrille—lost, alas 1 in the romp and bustle of the modern "social"—and' the travelling player, and many a capable performer raised laughter enough to drown .the sound of the waters of the harbour, that lapped against the back of the hotel. Wellington got a high opinion of itself when the Oddfellows' Hall was built on Lambton Quay. Not the present hall, by any means, but its modest predecessor)' which also had. the music of the waves, to. test its acoustics night or day. What times.! What nights! When old Harriott would essay the role of Macbeth, and would in the course of the play yield to . the clamour of the house for a sailor's hornpipe. He was as good a fiddler as he was a danceiMAerc is no one in Wellington occupies the same position relatively as did old Marriott in the '60's. Then came the Theatre Royal— the present building—and the Princess Theatre in Tory Street, now a lemonade factory. This old theatre was opened with eclat in the presence of the Marquis of Normanby, and was the scene of many a dramatic stock season. No regular "treasuries" in those days—the ghost walked haltingly, if at all. Mr.. W'm. Boyd, who is instituting a Zoo at 'Aramolio, was concerned in the building of the Princess Theatre, being , then the proprietor of the hotel adjoining; The Theatre Royal was a popular house from'. its inception, and it does not need, a very elastic memory to recall its palmy days, when its comfortable interior glowed with the presence of such artists as ; Sheridan, the tragedian, Herr Bandman, Wm. Creswick, William Hosking, Florence Colville, Boucicault, the elder, George Rignold, Essie Jenyns, and other bright lights of the Thespian world. _ Wellington was growing all» the time,, and it grew southward and eastwardeven as it grows to-day. The Theatre Royal was a-long way away to those home-builders high up on Te Aro flat and in Newtown, so the Opera House in Manners Street evolved, not the one standing now, but its predecessor, which was destroyed by fixe. The first Opera House was opened by MacMahon and Leitch's Dramatic ..Company in . "The Silver King," and, when re-erected, by the Wellington Amateur Operatic Society in "The Mikado," with Miss Nellie Partes as Yum Yum, and the late Mr. W. D. Lyon as Koko. His Majesty's Theatre was not always a theatre. It was erected for the United Methodist Free Church, and did faithful duty for many. years. Then things happened/ and the church was converted into a music-hall by Messrs. Fuller and Sons, and permanent vaudeville considerably altered its purpose in the world. Then the . Pullers took over a lease of the Theatre Royal, and continued vaudeville, there, leasing His Majesty's later to the Royal' Picture Syndicate, which is, concerned in..the, proprietary/ of the neiv King's Theatre. Meanwhile, after a spell of pictures, vaudeville has come into its own 1 again at the Royal, stillunder the Fuller management.: which resumes" the control of His. Majesty's Theatre to-morrow evening. The new King's Theatre, which occupies as central and convenient a site as could be desired, is a plain but serviceablydesigned structure,. having a 1 frontage of ■ GOft.; to Taranaki'.iPlace by a depth of 161 ft.' (one -side ■ flaiiking. • Little Taranaki The front .elevation, is :two'storied/inputted . brick ' . relieved with cement facings. A verandah traverses .the frontage, which is-relieved in : the . centre .by a- balcony f or the' use of dress circle patrons. The entrance' to the circle is in. th 6 centre •of the building on the .street 'frontage—a. grand stairway : 10 feet, wide, brass railed, branching off on either, side, and leading to a foyer, . off which open cloak-rooms ; for ' ladies' and gentlemen. ' The operating room, which practically divides the foyer into halves, is built' of reinforced concrete (20-inch walls) outside the auditorium proper, and one can only locate it from within by' the square hole: in the back wall of the theatre. Each cloak-ropm is 21ft. by 12ft., and .is .nicely decorated and furnished, whilst Axininster carpet softens the way on the stained concrete stairs, and foyer. Other touches of elegance are Jent by .the. massive brass hand-rails that flank, ihe, stairs, and'the large mirror midway, on' the stairway. -The mode of interior structure in the-, front part of the building is reinforced ■ concrete—stairway, floors,, dividing walls, and dress circleall afe absolutely 'fire-proof. The auditorium consists of a dress circle and the ground floor, and is calculated to seat 350 upstairs and about 1100 below. The colour scheme of the hall interior is a contrast of dark red and old gold. The smooth concrete walls have been sized and painted a rich 'warm red colour to a fair-height, above which the | tint lightens a little, giving a hrightening effect. ■ The filagree iron balustrade, round the front of the dress circle is picked out in blue■> and gold, and the proscenium, with old gold as a basic tone, is as loyal in design as the most ardent pairiot could desire.' The crown and orb. of State gleams from the centre, piece, and Cupids, florally enchained, lead'from either side'to the side panels, which' are elaborated with portraits ol the King and Queen. The decorative work is from the brushes of : Messrs. Claude Whaite and Victor Beck, who. have done wonders in the short time at their disposal. The dome of the, ceiling is relieved, with some attractive centre pieces: supplied by. the Carrara Company—Cupids, picked out in blue and', gold. ■ ■ ' The new theatre is lit. with electricity —eight Osrams. of 200 candle-power each. In the front are offices for the management, and two shops, both' .'of which have been let.' The King's Theatre was built , for and the, Royal Picture' Syndicato (Messrs. A. Linley and T. Donovan) by Messrs. Meyer and Illingwortii, from the plans of Mr. Jas. Bennie, architect.