Curtain Up Newcastle! The Theatre Town That Was

Opened in 1928, the Regent Islington was built around the much older “Herbert’s Theatre”. Opening in the age of “talkies”, the theatre remained successful until the advent of television in the 1950s. The Regent Islington closed in 1964 and was used for storage until it was converted into a supply store for builders and renovators. Although probably the quintessential “picture palace” in its heyday, the Regent is now a kitchen cabinetry business. The years have not been kind to this grand old building, but thankfully much of the interior remains. Grab a coffee at Suspension Espresso directly across the road & poke your head through the open roller-door on Beaumont Street. Much of the proscenium (the arch that framed the screen) is still in tact and the back stalls give some sense of its former grandeur. From the Regent Islington, wander down to Hamilton railway station and catch a Newcastle-bound train to Wickham. Stroll up towards Hunter Street (take note of Bank Corner on your walk, another unsung local landmark). At Bank Corner, pop into the little espresso bar of the same name. The sourdough is quite nice and the cosy lounge is a great spot to sit out the chillier months.

The Royal is one of those instantly recognisable buildings in the West End, fronting Hunter Street in the West End (diagonally across from Bank Corner). When it opened in the 1924, the Royal was dubbed the finest building in the West End. Renovations at the Strand Theatre (now demolished) forced the Royal to remodel and in 1939 it was transformed into an Art Deco/Moderne cinema. In the 20s and 30s, live acts such as jugglers preceded intervals and vaudeville acts were also common. During the war, Hoyts took over the Royal and it was championed as one of the company’s flagship theatres. Sadly, as the West End languished so too did the Royal and it was closed a week before the 1989 earthquake. Interesting fact: In 1925 another earthquake hit Newcastle and caused “hopeless pandemonium” at the Theatre Royal. Several patrons fainted during a rush for the doors and the chaos made news around the world. Walk (or jump on a free bus), towards Civic. Urban Insiders need not be directed to alight at Wheeler Place, for the Civic Theatre commands not only the streetscape, but also the hearts of many Novocastrians.

A story has circulated around Newcastle for several years now that Newcastle’s Civic Theatre, our only surviving theatre from the “Golden Age”, has a resident ghost. Spotted around the time of the 1989 earthquake, this melancholy spectre is thought to speak for the “soft spot” Novocastrians have for this old theatre. It’s painful to imagine the city without the Civic, but at the same time it’s important to remember that we were very close to losing it. Saved by a very far-sighted council in the 1990s, the Civic is now one of the state’s finest venues. Although you can’t do a theatre crawl without stopping at Wheeler Place, be sure to check out their website for upcoming shows.

Most Novocastrians are probably not only aware of the Kensington, but are now sick to death of hearing about it. After a stint in Sydney I asked a close friend “what have I missed in Newcastle?” “Well”, he began, “the Kensington came and went. That’s about it so far”. When it opened as a cinema in 1970, the Kensington assumed the then hackneyed title of “Newcastle newest theatre”. Don’t be fooled, nowadays that quaint (if not slightly dilapidated) façade hides a multi-million dollar interior that is sadly going to waste.

Now part of Frontline Hobbies, the former Tatler Theatrette is a unique space where Newcastle’s theatre and gay histories overlap. The Tatler showed newsreels on a continuous loop in the latter half of last century. The constantly dark interior gained notoriety as a gay hangout in the 1950s and from then on it became an important part of Newcastle’s Queer history (now celebrated at the new Newcastle Museum). Television killed the newsreel and the Tatler followed the well-beaten track out of town and into our collective memory before the century was through.

The Central Hall is no stranger to fame. Built in 1903, it is now home to the “hatted” restaurant Bacchus. Before the era of “talkies”, this was home to Lyceum Pictures and Dame Nellie Melba famously performed about where the bar is now situated. Although the days of live performances are gone, there is still something very theatrical about Bacchus. High Tea is one of the attractive options available nowadays, in addition to wine & tapas in the evenings. If you’re looking for something special, lunch and dinner never fail to be memorable.

On leaving Bacchus, cross King and turn down Perkins Street. Take note of the uninspiring office building at the intersection – this was once the site of another city theatre completely destroyed in the 1989 earthquake. This, however, is not the purpose of the side trip into Perkins Street. If you find yourself heaving a melancholy sigh at number 8-10, you won’t be the first to have done so. The Victoria was, and in my opinion still is, the centrepiece of Newcastle’s old theatre district. Although the current building dates to 1891, the Victoria first opened in 1876 in a building on Watt Street that was destroyed by fire. Until it closed in 1966, the Victoria was Newcastle’s premier venue for live theatre. London’s Doily Carte Opera Company performed here on several occasions, as did Richard Tauber (the Austrian tenor, dubbed one of the greatest voices of last century) and Lillie Langtry (the British actress who was, quite famously, Edward VII’s mistress before he became King of England). The Victoria became a cinema during the 1940s but live theatre was still performed here from time to time. After it closed, the front of the theatre was converted into retail space and a shoe store operated out of the Vic for several years. Behind its locked doors, the auditorium is still very much intact. In recent months, agitation within the community has generated considerable interest in the Victoria. Newcastle City’s Council light installation is a short-term solution to the problem and at night Novocastrians can catch a glimpse of what the theatre looked like in its heyday. Although I recommend you check this place out after dark, I also implore readers to pressure our civic leaders to save the state’s oldest purpose-built theatre. Continue up the Hunter Street Mall until Thorn Street. Although the next theatre now fronts Wolfe Street, the original façade remains intact next to two ReNew Newcastle stores.

There is a chance even Gen Y Novocastrians saw a movie at the old Lyrique, albeit during the time is operated as the Showcase City Cinemas (facing Wolfe Street). The main entry was originally here, next door to what is now the Odditorium & Tipsy Orchestra. Built as the Masonic Hall, from 1915 up until 2008 (with an interruption here and there), this was a staple in Newcastle’s theatre district. Dubbed “the flea pit”, what the Lyrique lacked in opulence it made up for in stamina. After brief stint as a mini golf course in the Thirties, the Lyrique was used as accommodation for visiting servicemen during the Forties. A decision was made to reopen as a theatre before the war ended and by the 1960s it was operating as the city’s art house cinema (I saw Inside Paris here on a rainy night last decade). When it closed its doors in 2008, the Lyrique had given four generations of Novocastrians not only a bit of culture, but also privacy on their first dates. That’s a bit special isn’t it? Keep walking up Hunter Street Mall, past the Queens Wharf footbridge and take a seat in Newcastle’s favourite espresso bar, One Penny Black.

While you wait for your latte or short black, spare a thought for “the finest theatre in the southern hemisphere” that once stood next door. Built in 1916, the Strand fought the Royal (West End) for the title of Newcastle’s premier theatre during much of last century. Its history is one of endless renovations, the most dramatic of which occurred in 1937 when the Art Deco/Moderne style was refashioning streetscapes around the world. Originally built in the “classical style”, most Novocastrians who remember the Strand will recall the sharp lines and chrome railings that characterised Interwar design. When the Strand closed in 1979, Novocastrians were so upset that the Newcastle Sun ran an obituary for the old theatre. According to the Sun correspondent, the proscenium arch, “so long a gateway to other lands and other times”, resisted the wrecker’s ball like a true Novocastrian.