Page 17 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

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protrude on to the road and stare down cause . If there had been a measure artfully constricted to conceal the
the demure bluestone church in its called bricks used per seat, the ratio stage. From within the stalls, the
lawn setting. From a mile away on the for Gardiner would have been one of opening gave lightness to the mass of
hill half way to Camberwell, the the highest of any theatre in the balcony. The space was plastered
curved, stepped roof of the theatre was Melbourne. In terms of seating over in the late forties to make way for
the only recognizable shape. At night capacity it was actually the smallest of more sweets counters. Fortunately the
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‘the lights of Gardiner’ had only one the three . assurance of the overall design was a
meaning. The sweep of the stage was protection against major changes.
Introducing Charles Bohringer emphasized by plaster filigree that High standards carried through to
fanned out above the front stalls, the the technical details. Bohringer had
A sense of expectation is evident in
detail incisive against the blackness of appointed the Sydney firm of
the letter from Mendel Snider, Director
the roof space. Side aisles were new to Sainsbury and Sears to design and
of Construction and Development for
patrons accustomed to the theatres of install the system for mechanical
Associated Theatres to the
Camberwell. Here there was room to ventilation. This firm was considered
Commissioner for Public Health. ‘This
stretch and no excuse for hand prints to be leaders in their field after their
letter will serve to introduce you to
or hair oil on the walls. work on the Sydney showpiece The
Mr. Charles Bohringer. We have been (6)
so impressed with Mr. Bohringer’s The choice of style reflected the St. James . By comparison with that
theatres which we have seen in Sydney suburb. On homes around Gardiner project, Gardiner was a simple
and Newcastle that we have engaged today fans, laurels and spear points can assignment, which meant that the
him to come to build us a theatre in be seen as exterior decoration, a hint theatre always passed the tests for air
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Gardiner’ .* of the internal ornamentation that quality.
received full expression within The The design and detail of the theatre
The external scale of this Regent
Regent. was so different to The Regent South
came from the decision to capitalize on
the slope yet not compromise the The foyer did not have the depth Yarra that the brief may have
interior. The outer, larger proscenium that might have been expected. An specified precisely that. Charles
was congruent with the stage island ticket box and stairs to the Bohringer’s first full theatre
proscenium and not ‘sliced’ by the line balcony foyer in alcoves gave no commission in Victoria rewarded the
of the ceiling as was the case at South reason to dawdle. The stalls audience client who had sought him out; a
Yarra. This decision integrated the glimpsed timber, marble and brass, a happy fusion of ambition to ‘make
auditorium with the stage, but it also tempting hint of opulence. For balcony good’ in Victoria, the vision of the
meant higher walls. Later, when the patrons the climb allowed the eyes to directors and their deep pockets. The
stability of the walls became an issue, adjust to dim light. From the balcony Bohringer team had created a space to
the height to which they had been foyer part of the stalls could be seen enhance the enjoyment of cinema. The
raised was thought to be one possible beyond a bannister. This space was directors now set out to sell this idea.

Exuberant curves: The sweep of the balcony matched the boldness of the proscenium. The boxes and pit repeated these proportions.
Even the doors to the boxes had rounded tops.
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