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Theatre Royal 639 Hay Street, Perth, WA - 1925

Originally opened as the Theatre Royal on 19th April 1897 with stage productions and vaudeville it also presented earliest screenings of films in Perth - Photo 1925 - Notice the Vaudeville sign top left. (Vaudeville nightly at 8.00).

A permanent bio box was built in 1910 with sliding roof to cool the theatre, and it was later wired for sound in the late-1920’s.

By 1934 it was contracted as the MGM house for new release product. Renovations were carried out in 1938, to the plans of architect William T. Leighton, of the architectural firm Baxter-Cox & Leighton. By 1946 it was operated by the Grand Theatre Co. Ltd. as the Royal Theatre, still screening films.

The theatre was converted for 70mm with “My Fair Lady” in the 1960’s with removal of the third tier and installation of floating ceiling. Later in the 1980’s it became adjoined as part of Hoyts Centres Cinema Four. The complex was closed in April 1999. The facade and upper parts of the auditorium survived, and the building now contains a series of retail outlets - Notes by Mark Nicol

Contributed by Greg Lynch -