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Melba Britannia Theatre Royal
Opened: 8 June 1911 Opened: 27 June 1912 Rebuilt (after fire),
Closed: 1938 Closed: January 1933 Reopened: 6 Nov. 1872.
The Melba is credited with At Last, The Long Felt Want Closed: 17 Nov. 1933
introducing to Melbourne the cheap Supplied, was the message for opening For years the prestige live theatre of
ticket ‘come when you like, go when night, and for a while it seemed that J. Melbourne, and a casualty of the same
you like’ policy of the American D. Williams’ new theatre would be as economic forces that were thinning out
entrepreneur J. D. Williams. The site popular as his first. the picture theatres. The Theatre Royal
had been an entertainment venue since The interior is strikingly handsome. was the scene of the original
1868, but Williams’ Melba was a Pilasters either side support the walls, partnership between James Cassius
complete rebuild. while huge Grecian columns rise to the Williamson, Arthur Garner and George
The Melba is the one theatre in roof at the further end. Above the Musgrove, the triumvirate who formed
these profiles that almost made it into pilasters are large and admirably J. C. Williamson Theatres in 1882. The
the forties, and was on a site important painted frescoes, the tone of the Firm’s decision to concentrate stage
enough to warrant two rebuilds (as the decorations being deep rose tints…The productions at their re-built His
Liberty 1939, and Odeon 1951). ventilation is on the same principle as Majestys in Exhibition Street and in
The Herald’s The pretty building in the London Opera House. their smart new playhouse the Comedy
Bourke Street, Table Talk’s bright and (Table Talk, 4 July 1912). across the road, meant last curtains for
attractive and The Argus’ The scheme One commentator, comparing a much-loved theatre.
of colour is pale buff, yellow and blue, Nahum Barnet’s design for the
picked out with gold and the walls are Britannia with his Auditorium Bijou: Rebuilt 1890 and
pictorially in panels which will no (completed the next year), considered Gaiety: 1890. Both closed 1933
doubt hit the popular taste, are all that that the former was the better effort. By the thirties, the Palace Hotel and
we know about the interior. The Britannia introduced two its attendant theatres the Bijou and
Designed by Eaton and Bates with innovations: wider seats (21-inch Gaiety/Roxy were tired building stock,
Nahum Barnet in association, the (53cm), instead of the usual 18-inch but for the Fuller Brothers a major
narrow site tested the skill of every firm (46cm)) and a mechanical ventilation make-over was out of the question.
required to disguise its ‘corridor’ system that received a lot of publicity. A demolition here and there on a
dimensions. The construction of the Britannia busy street might be overlooked by
The Melba was a very successful in only 94 days was the result of passers-by, but a block bulldozed from
theatre for J. D. Williams and later for incentives offered to the bricklayers, lane to lane and left vacant for years
Union Theatres. When it came time to who set an Australian record for the was a dismal sight. Rubbing salt into
re-build, the name New Melba was number of bricks laid in a day. The the wound for any passing theatre-lover
considered. name was to be Columbia, but Nahum was the wreckage of the Theatre
Barnet argued that the symbolism in his Royal opposite, all unmistakable signs
Image: Ross Thorne
design allowed for only one name. of a new order.
Images: Above, right and top (page 31)
are reproduced by permission of the
Performing Arts Collection, The Arts
Centre, Melbourne.
CINEMARECORD 2005 27