"HIS MAJESTY'S."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1632, 26 December 1912, Page 6

"HIS MAJESTY'S."

FULLER AND SONS' NEW THEATRE. ONE MAS'S'WORK.. TO BE OPENED THIS EVENING. Never was there, such a time for theatre-building in Now Zealand. ' The people who cater for the accommodation of travelling and permanent shows seem to have suddenly awakened' to the fact that they wero falling not only behind the times—which was quite evident—but behind the demand, which is a commercial imprudence. The only.point to be seriously studied is how far to go. With the rise of the moving picture business in New Zealand—as in other parts of the world—the aspect of the amusement business has been changed. So popular have pictures become that theatres have sprung up like mushrooms all over the country, and the work of supplying them all with film_ has developed big commercial organisations.with wonderful systems. Messrs. Puller and.Sons head one of these organisations in the Dominion, and apart altogether from their own theatres supply film to scores of other theatres from Auckland to the Bluff. It is this firm which has just about completed the erection of a theatre in Conrtenay Place which will bear comparison with the best houses in Australasia. With foresight, tho Puller Proprietary have not built for pictures only—it is a theatre which will practically accommodate any class of show, and is being supplied with all the appointments with that end in view.

His Majesty's is the largest theatre in New Zealand, having actual seating accommodation for 2355 people. A unique feature in connection with tho erection of this theatre is that the building has been designed and the. entire work of construction has been carried out by Mr. Henry E. White, a young New Zealander, wh<i*e work is already well known in other parts of the Dominion.

His Majesty's, which present a handsome addition to the architecture of Oourtenay Place, has a frontage of.lOG feet, a depth of 132 feet, and the skyline of the parapet is GO feet .from tho pavement of the sidewalk. The facade, of handsome design,, without being over-elaborate anywhere, follows French renaissanco lines, with balconetted windows on the first arid second floor, divided by gracefullyplaced. lonic three-quarter columns, handsomely capped, and a massive cornice gives weight and dignity to the whole scheme. Structurally, the building is of the must modern form of steel construction, with the framework of the whole building, the galleries, roof, proscenium, etc., forming a complete skeleton, which could stand by itself, leaving the brick and concrete work as the panels between the massive standards and girders. The steel rool, with an unsupported stretch of SOft., is the largest ever made in New Zealand, and the galleries, owing to'the delicate variations in the pitch and cant, called for a great deal of ingenious designing. - The auditorium is 80ft. wide—the widest in New Zealand—and outside are- two 10ft. passages, on to which four exit doors open on each 6ide. These also admit to the stage. With a depth of 80ft., and a similar 1 distance between the back wall and the proscenium wall, the auditorium forms a perfect cube. Mr. White has secured a full view of tho stage for every seat in the theatre. He lias done away with the old horseshoe-shaped circle, and carries his round in a perfect sweep to the boxes, and.in order that the boxes shall in no way impede the view. There are, twelve boxes m all—two on each floor, and being richly ornamented after the French Renaissance style, they form an important feature in the interior scheme of decoration.

Here Mr. White has amply demonstrated his right to be classed as an artist aa well as builder and structural engineer. In the first place, it should to explained that the ground colour of the interior scheme is white, and that the walls and ceilings are finished in Keen's cement. The seats—the ornamental iron frames of. which were designed by the architect—are upholstered 'in rich, ruby Utrecht velvet, which will match the very beautiful red plush tableau curtains,, which Messrs. Fuller and Sons have imported from England. A sparing use of colours in the general plan, is based on artistic gTounds. In touching up the fibrous plaster ornamental work, only the varying shades of rose pink and gold have been used. The beauty of this work is the first thing that catches the eye as one enters the theatre.

The old idea of a dropped dome, with a great ventilator in the centre, has been done away with. The ceiling directly over the stalls is flat, and does not begin to slant upwards until necessitated by the slope of the circles. The slope ends in another flat section of the ceiling, which is pieTced by four great ventilators, capped on tho roof with corresponding louvres.

The ceiling, though flat, has been made the chief ornamental feature in the scheme of interior decoration. Around a gleaming ,sun, with brilliant gilt rays radiating jn every direction—an aureole for the big electric light—a covey of chubby cupids, veiar nicely modelled, float in a sort of theajjpeal heaven, which is bordered by an ornamental ellipse in heavy relief. Another outstanding feature is the prosconium, which is not yet completed. The curve of the frame is to be filled with figures, 9ft. in height, representing the Goddess of Comedy, Thalia, and a big figure group, later on, is to form the centre piece above the framework of the proscenium. It should be mentioned that the opening of the proscenium is 36ft. and the height 28ft. The seating accommodation is made up as follows:—Orchestra and ordinary stalls, 933; dress circle, 350; upper circle, 1000; twelve boxes, 72; total seating accommodation, 2355

The main. entrance- is in the centre of the building. A short flight of steps of Sicilian marble, 14ft. in width, leads to a landing and the ticket-box. On either side of the box are entrances to the' stalls, and a flight of marble stairs on" both sides conducts one to the dress circle. The stairs terminate in a small vestibule, and off this are two archway approaches to tho dress circle. The smalmess of the vestibule is compensated for by a spacious balcony which runs the full breadth .of the theatre, and by the two corner lounges in either corner behind the back row of seats in the dress circle. The cloak' rooms for both ladies and men lead off theso lounges on both sides. Tho upper circle entrances are in Courtenay Place, and are reached by two 6hort flights of stairs, finished in red gran, lithic concrete. By an ingenious arrangement, provided by a double set of doors, the public will bo admitted to the lower part of the circle, until the lower seats are filled, and can then_ bo admitted to the upper part by tho higher doors, thus providing for the minimum amount of exertion on the part of patrons who arrive early.

The floors throughout are of jarrah— one of the slowest burning woods—under which sheet iron is laid. As the.ceilings consist of expanded metal and fibrous plaster the building is practically fireproof. Dressing rooms are provided on the galleries between the circles and the stage. Tho stage itself is 80ft. in width, and 40ft. in depth, and is provided with the usual "flies," and gridiron necessary for tho working of scenic productions

The firms who supplied material and specialised work were: Messrs. Odlin and Co., Stewart and Co., Jarrah Timber Company, (timber), Martin's, and Smith and Smith (leadlights and glazing), Jonkins and Mack (plumbing), Cable and Co., and D. Robertson (castings). Mr. Andrews, of Christchurch, and the Carrara Ceiling Co. (fibrous plaster work), and Mr. Armstrong (joinery).

The theatre has been built by dav labour in splendid time. At this time Inst year a start had only been made with, the foundations, which owing to the running gravel formation and the fact that they had to bo sunk well below sea-level caused a good deal of extra wotlc. In all. about !>OOO yards of gravel had to bo shifted.- The first of the steel girders did not arrive until Easter, so that. practically tho building of the theatre above tho foundations,.has only occupied a little over eight months. The final rush during the past two months lias been a well-sustained effort. Tho work has been carried on at high speed night and day, and though everyone who saw tho theatre a week ago were of opinion that it was impossible to open before January, Mr. White has demonstrated what really could bo done.

The theatre is to bo opened for the first time this evening.