Page 8 - CinemaRecord #11R.pdf

46. St. Judes/Little/St Martins Theatre· South Yarra by Fred Page

The genius of what was to become the next most important repertory theatre to what is now the Melbourne
Theatre Company in Victoria, began in the early months of 1931 when experienced actors Brett Randall and
Hal Percy, in the Green Room Club, Melbourne, decided on the formation of a new theatre company.

The first performance was of Miles Mallestons play "The Fanatics". This starred the above principals and was
staged at the Central Hall - later to become the Central/Grosvenor cinema. The income from this production
was used to pay the staging costs and to create a fund to eventually be applied to building the Company's own
theatre.

"The Rescue Party" by Phyllis Morris was the next production and this was staged at the Fawkner Park Kiosk
and was regarded as being culturally significant. A further twenty-one plays were performed at this venue
which occurred under difficult circumstances as the stage had to be removed between shows as the venue had
to be available for dances and other activities. Towards the end of 1933 several plays were presented in Kelvin
Hall - later to become the Playbox Theatre and venue for a number of film shows.

Now to St Chads, a disused church which was taken over by the Melbourne Little Theatre in 1934 with the first
production of Georg Kaisers expressionist drama "Von Morgens Bis Mitternachts" in February of that year.
This was an ambitious production with a cast of twenty-five and seven scene changes. This on a stage
measuring 15'x12'. Moreover, there was a complete lack of backstage facilities, the biggest being no flytower.
The prestige of the Company had grown to such an extent that by 1936 they staged seven plays in the Garrick
Theatre (Snowden Cinema) and four at the Princess Theatre. Only one play was performed at St Chads that
year.

The popularity of plays at St Chads, in spite of no heating which necessitated the audience taking rugs and hot
water bottles in the winter, led to "seasons" being extended from one or two niqhts to two or three weeks in an
auditorium of 126 seats. Performances continued at St Chads until early 1955 with an occasional show being
staged at the National Theatre (St Peters Church Hall, East Melbourne). Shows then transferred to the Arrow
Theatre, Middle Park, the home of the Frank Thring (Jnr) players.

During this period the new Little Theatre replaced St Chads. The first play in the new 410 seat theatre was
"Tiger at the Gates" by Jean Giraudoux presented on 24 August 1956. The new theatre was the first new live
theatre built since the Comedy and remained that until the opening of the Arts Centre theatres and the many
community theatres built since then - excluding multi purpose halls. The theatre was officially opened by the
Lieutenant Governor of Victoria, Sir Edmund Herring. Funds for many of the seats were donated and dedicated
to famous actors and theatrical figures including George Coppin, George Rignold, Bland and Florence Holt,