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Throughout the years there have been many
international and national visitors to the Civic
Theatre. In 1959, Invercargill had a visit from
Johnny Devlin - New Zealand's answer to
Elvis Presley. It was said that during his
performance at the theatre, fans tore off not
only his shirt, but his trousers too. After his
second concert he had to stay in the Civic until
about 1.30am when about 1000 fans broke
down the stage door. Devlin managed to
escape through a toilet window.
Almost the complete opposite happened in
June 1975, when Gary Glitter performed and
revved a motorcycle on stage. The booklet
distributed for the 2005 renovation says "The
'conservative' audience remained fairly calm
and his act was later pronounced completely
out of place in the stately Civic Theatre."

These days, the Civic Theatre continues to
play host for a myriad of performers, from the

After an earthquake in the late 1970s had the
building swaying in different directions
simultaneously, it was decided they either
needed to strengthen the theatre, or demolish
it and rebuild at a cost of $11 million. This
move set in motion the gradual process
towards the 2005 renovation.

Alterations were done throughout the decades,
including the demolition of the entire middle
portion to make way for a new staircase and
direct dress circle access to the enlarged
Victoria Hall in 1981.

In 2004, The Southland Times reported a
sombre mood as Southlanders came to say
goodbye to the former Civic Theatre before
it was closed to undergo a full renovation.
Several hundred Southlanders creaked across
the stage floor, peeked into dimly lit dressing
rooms and reminisced over the dozens of old
show posters which plaster backstage walls. seen him. Some time ago, a young woman Royal New Zealand Ballet, to Southland's
The former seats from the Civic Theatre were visited him at the theatre and asked who the finest, partaking in the Southland
sold, following replacement, at $10 each. man in the black coat was, sitting in the stall Entertainment Awards. It remains a part of
seats. There was no one there of that Invercargill's history and hard to miss at that.
The theatre's manager, Garnet Ashbrook, has description. "She must have seen him,"
worked there since 1975, starting backstage. Ashbrook says. The restoration booklet makes At night it is lit up amongst a backdrop of
He remembers it before the 2005 renovation. mention of the "benign ghost." "Surely a black, as a reminder of the beautiful design
"It had a lot of character, but it was cold." As cavalcade of spirits to all those performers crafted 110 years ago. As Mayor Tim
with most old buildings, there are rumblings who over a century have showed their talents Shadbolt says in the 2005 renovation booklet
of a ghostly entity that lingers about. "Ah, like stardust within these walls, will jubilantly - "The Civic Theatre will enrich and empower
Freddy," Ashbrook says. He doesn't know celebrating with us this stunning new life at the cultural lifeblood of our province and will
much about him, but others are sure they have our city's heart." However, the last time lift the spirit and pride of every Southlander."
anybody saw
Freddy, he was Governor General Lord Plunket placed a
lingering around scroll in a bottle underneath the foundation
the Phantom's stone of the theatre on 1 February 1905.
chair after the
2015 Invercargill Moving pictures were shown in the Civic
Musical Theatre from about 1919 to the 1950s. The last silent
production of movie played in the Civic Theatre on May
Phantom of the 31, 1930. In October 2005, Invercargill and
Opera. The talk is the Civic Theatre played host to the world
that he was premiere of The World's Fastest Indian. ✶
packed up with
the set and sent Credits:
off to Dunedin
Theatre. Initial research: Gerry Kennedy

The Southland Times Newspaper

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