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After losing their first proposed home to fire, Melbourne’s

National Theatre Movement continued to be besieged by a run of bad luck.

Robert Taylor continues the story...

aving been burnt-out during the Extraordinarily a second fire on Enter The Empress Theatre in Prahran
Hconversion from cinema to live September 14th 1968 destroyed the at 217 Chapel Street. The National
theatre, the organization sold the site of Theatrette at Toorak and so the National Theatre purchased the old cinema in
the now demolished Village Theatre was again without a venue. October 1969 (it had closed as a cinema
Toorak in May 1967 for $230,000. in 1960) for $260,000 and began plans
to convert it to a live theatre.
The National Theatre Group now
concentrated on productions at its This included purchasing 635 seats
nearby Theatrette at 316 Toorak Road from the recently burnt and demolished
and in February 1967 entered into a city Tivoli Theatre in Bourke Street.
lease agreement with Melbourne’s Bernard Evans had prepared plans
historic Princess Theatre. to convert the Empress into a live
theatre, offices and studios for both
Productions at the Princess were short- the National Theatre and the Melba
lived due to some unsuccessful seasons. Conservatorium.
and at the end of 1968 the Australian
Elizabethan Theatre Trust took over the
Princess lease.
Above: Empress under the Hoyts banner.
Below: Original Empress auditorium

CINEMAREC ORD 2011 31