THEATRE BUILDING IN WELLINGTON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1142, 1 June 1911, Page 4

THEATRE BUILDING IN WELLINGTON.

THE OPERA HOUSE. The public, and the playgoing section of it in particular, will bo interested to learn that at a mooting of the directors of tho Wellington Opera House, held on Tucsdav, it was decided to make a forward movement in the direction of providing a theatre, which will be a great improvement on the Opera House. this theatre has now douc good service for a long term of years, and is still, as far as tho public is concerned, a comfortable house of theatrical entertainment; but tho advance of time, taken together with the increasing elaborateness of the productions that arc submitted to the public from timo to time, has disclosed shortcomings as compared with more modern theatres in other centres. J>otably is this tho case "behind tho scenes.' llie stage is altogether inadequate for the proper sta-'ing of spectacular melodrama, and elaborately-mounted opera and musical comedy. Its breadth is that of the stalls, so tho public can imagine how hampered a stage manager is when lie has to stago a plav with the same scenery and effects as in nis Majesty's, or the Theatre Royal, in Sydney or Melbourne. It simply cannot 'bo done. That is why people who have seen a production in Australia so frequently complain that it is not so "ood here. There is so much compressing and cutting down to be dono that tho effectiveness of scenes is frequently marred by (he restrictions noted. The dressing-rooms are far from what they, should lie, and the system of singe lighting might also be improved. This, it is cheering to loam, is all fo bo altered. So far, however, tho directors of tho company have not decided definitely whether they will bring the present theatre up-to-date or convert it into use for other purposes, and erect another Opera House in the near vicinity. Their course will be decided within a week or two, after which as little time as possible will be taken in initiating the work. With a new Opera House, a new His Majesty's, a new Theatre Royal, and possibly a" ucw theatre for ,T. C. Williamson, Ltd., Wellington will bo well off in this regard in twelve months' time.