The Princess Theatre

The Examiner of Monday 28 August 1911 carried an enthusiastic story about the new Princess Theatre which was to be formally opened two days later by the Mayor.

"It is the interior that will charm the patron most.  He will admire the imposing character of the front elevation, shown up as it will be by the blaze of four 2000 c.p. flame arc lamps, but when he gets within it will be to marvel at the magnificent proportions and the artistic decoration of the house, and its complete and varied appointments… The dome and ceiling are a dream of loveliness."

The article went on to describe in great detail the foyers, the stamped metal ceilings and the magnificent dome in the auditorium.  Concealed in the dome "amidst a wealth of elegance [is] a ventilator at the apex that will carry off foul air and assist to keep the building cool and fresh."

There were also a series of 13 circular ventilating windows, which swung on pivots, and with leaded glass behind which were electric lamps.  These lamps provided subdued lighting in the auditorium when the general lights were out.

Costing between £14,000 and £15,000 the Princess was built for Mr Marino Lucas, a vaudeville entrepreneur from Hobart.  All the work except for the stamped metal ceilings was done in Launceston.  Messrs J & T Gunn were the contractors for the building, decoration and electric lighting.

The Theatre was built to hold 1800 people "comfortably".  There were two cloakrooms in the upstairs foyer, one for the ladies with a "huge swinging mirror"  and one for the gentlemen.  It is probably best not to wonder about the 1200 patrons who were seated downstairs.

Things have changed a bit over the intervening years.  The Theatre is licensed to hold 1087 people now (including staff) and there are certainly more facilities for all members of the public.

While the auditorium is clearly 1911 the front foyers and the façade were converted to art deco during extensive renovations in 1939.

On opening night in 1911 the backstage area was still to be completed so silent films were shown.  This proved to be so lucrative that the Theatre operated as a cinema until 1970.

In that year the Launceston City Council sold the National Theatre and bought The Princess for the bargain price of $71,000.  The Theatre opened as a live venue (its original purpose) to great fanfare on 16 November that year with a gala performance by the Australian Ballet.

Since 1970, the Princess has hosted a very diverse range of performances including Circus Oz, The Rocky Horror Show, the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Dance Company, The Corrs, The Delltones, The Seekers, and many more. Other famous actors and performers who have graced the Princess stage have included: Jimmy Edwards, Peter Cook, Hattie Jacques, Dave Allen, Warren Mitchell, Dudley Moore, Geoffrey Parsons, Billy Connolly, Wilfred Bramble and Harry H Corbitt from "Steptoe and Son", and more recently, Australia´s Ruth Cracknell, Helen Morse, Barry Otto and Gary McDonald.

The Princess is also used for local events such as the Uni Revue, Launceston Competitions, Launceston Festival of Dance, school and college productions and end-of-year functions.  The Launceston Musical Society, Three River Theatre and the Launceston Players regularly stage their productions there.

Theatre North has managed the Princess and the Earl Arts Centre under a lease agreement with the Launceston City Council since 1998.  Over the last few years Council has shown its commitment to the venues by undertaking necessary capital and equipment upgrades.

In 1999 a computerised ticketing system was installed in the Princess Theatre foyer.

The Princess Theatre is part of the history of Launceston.  It has a beautiful auditorium and many visiting performers gasp in surprise saying "this is wonderful. A real theatre."