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The Playhouse History
1965 – 2003
The Canberra Theatre was opened with a gala performance by the Australian Ballet on 24 June 1965. The Playhouse, opposite the Canberra Theatre across a colonnaded plaza (now converted to The Link) was opened more quietly by a local company, Canberra Repertory on 18 August 1965. The opening production was Peter Ustinov's Romanoff and Juliet designed and directed by Rep’s professional Manager-Producer Peter Batey. The cast included the cream of Canberra’s acting talent.
The opening night was a triumph both for the production and the Playhouse itself, which was hailed as one of the best small theatres in Australia. The opening heralded a new era in the cultural life of the Canberra community.
As the opening program read: “It (the Playhouse) must prove of inestimable value to the many Canberra organisations who, for so long, have been struggling to express themselves under the most difficult of conditions. Now they are provided with facilities, which will, undoubtedly create enthusiasm, incentive and challenge in the best possible surroundings.”
From the very beginning there was a distinction between the two theatres, the larger Canberra Theatre was expected to house national and international companies and The Playhouse doing the same for domestic creativity. From its opening, the Playhouse housed a wide range of local events reflecting diverse community interests. In 1968/69 for example there were sixty six performances of plays, six revues, ten chamber music concerts, eighteen film sessions, one choral performance, twenty one conventions or meetings making a total of 122 events (this compares with the 48 interstate events – mainly plays and films.)
Local companies to use the Playhouse have included Canberra Opera; Prompt Theatre; Tempo (five productions including the world premiere of a locally written musical Will); Meryl Tankard Company; The Theatre Players; Canberra Repertory Society; Canberra Dance Ensemble; National Music Theatre; Canberra Little Theatre; Human Veins Dance Theatre; Eureka Theatre Company; Marian Club; Betsy Sawyers School of Ballet; Canberra Children’s Theatre; Stage Craft for Singers; Canberra Gang Show; Kaleidoscope, a company formed to present the world premiere of Vivien Arnold’s Issie an’ Ossie; Canberra Comedy Theatre Company; Jigsaw Theatre Company and Company Skylark which presented the world premiere of Inside DryWater as part of the 1993 National festival of Australian Theatre. From 1987 the Bryan Lawrence School of Ballet (later National Capital School of Ballet) presented an annual demonstration performance. For several years also the Woden Valley Youth Choir presented their annual concert there. The Playhouse has been used for conventions, meetings and other ceremonies including naturalization ceremonies by the Department of Immigration.
In addition to local companies the Playhouse has also housed many productions by visiting companies. These included Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead from the Old Tote Theatre Company; Dennis Olsen in Percy and Rose and Benjamin Franklin; David Williamson plays Travelling North and Sanctuary; Amanda Muggleton in Shirley Valentine; John Bell in Bad, Mad And Dangerous to Know; Betrayal from the Melbourne Theatre Company; chamber music concerts by Musica Viva and others; Robyn Archer in A Star is Torn; the controversial play Boys in the Band; Flextime; The 20’s and all that jazz; Educating Rita; Pam Ayers; Oleanna; Max Gillies in A Stretch on the Imagination; Googie Withers and John McCallum in High Spirits; many productions by NIDA; Leonard Teal in The Quiet Achievers; various Bell Shakespeare Company performances; Glynn Nicholas’ Certified Male; the West Australian Ballet; David Helfgott; as well as nationally and internationally renowned comedians and entertainers.
Apart from the 312 seat theatre itself, the former Playhouse also contained three other rooms. To the right of the Playhouse foyer was a restaurant. It was opened as Augustin’s Balcony restaurant by well-known Canberran Gus Petersilka in 1969. It later changed its name to Maggies and then became Seasons. It quickly became a favourite place for pre-theatre dinner. Many visiting theatrical personalities were guests at Theatre Centre Luncheon Club organised by Coralie Wood in the 1980s. When Seasons closed, the space became Players in 1992 and was used for occasional performances including Gilgul Theatre’s The Songs of Exile and other attractions at the National Festivals of Australian Theatre and two seasons of Jack the Ripper by Canberra Philharmonic Society in 1994.
In 1975 an extension was built to provide better storage space backstage and more dressing rooms. An orchestra pit was added but it was rarely used, as it required the removal of the first two rows of seats. The auditorium remained much the same. There was some refurbishment in 1984. Part of the slated wood ceiling was removed to increase the height of the proscenium arch. The walls and foyer were repainted and the green original seats were dyed black.
The then ACT Public Works Department commissioned Hassell Architects to design the new theatre. Then a two year long exhaustive consultation process between the Canberra Theatre Centre staff, Totalcare and the architects began. Hassell were joined by local architects, Butterworth Russel and John Hindmarsh (ACT) who won the construction tender.
In design terms the new theatre has moved away from the conventional fan shaped auditorium and proscenium arch stage that was used in most Australian theatres built in the 20th century. The auditorium takes the form of a semi circular drum with seating in the stalls and two balconies. Traditional ‘boxes’ have even been re-introduced. The design principles are similar to those used by Grecian architects over two thousand years ago and by the Elizabethan architects four hundred years ago.
The auditorium is a very intimate space with the green seats and the rich wood panelling on the auditorium walls creating a warm and welcoming feeling for the patrons of the venue. The Playhouse has dressing rooms on two levels, wardrobe, a green room, a reception room and the foyer, which wraps around the drum. The Playhouse had two ‘soft openings’ prior to the official opening in May 1998. Bangarra Dance Theatre’s production of Fish opened on Tuesday April 21 and Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of Sylvia opened Tuesday May 5.
It’s your new Playhouse – Enjoy!
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