The Princess Theatre is the grand old dame of Launceston's live theatre and performing arts scene, but she is far more than that.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Princess represents a change of eras from when Launceston was once a thriving epicentre of live theatre in Australia, which began around 1834 when pubs and hotels added live performances to their entertainment offerings, to the early part of the 20th century when silent movies became popular.
Throughout the mid- to late-1800s various theatre venues became an integral part of the nighttime entertainment scene in Launceston and invariably they followed a trend of either being part of a pub/hotel or right next to one.
However, smaller theatres did not attract major productions so a meeting was arranged to address the issue.
The Launceston Examiner, on August 15, 1881, reported that 'A large and influentially attended meeting' was held to plan for the building of a large theatre. The outcome was the Academy of Music that was built in George Street and later became the Plaza cinema.
In 1911 a vaudeville entrepreneur from Hobart, Marrenos Lekatsas (known locally as Mareeno Lucas) identified the need for a new live theatre venue.
The Princess Theatre was then built at a cost of 15,000 pounds and the contractors were Messrs. J & T Gunn who did all the decoration, apart from the stamped metal ceiling and electric lighting.
The original facade of the grand old dame was certainly different from what is there today. The wonderful Art Deco facade was constructed in 1939 when Hoyts took over the lease.
The catalyst for the takeover began in 1911 when the yet-to-be completed theatre installed a cinema screen to show silent movies. Such was the popularity of the 'flicks' that construction of the dressing rooms was halted, and the Princess became a dedicated movie theatre.
It remained as a cinema until 1970 when the Launceston City Council sold the National Theatre and bought the Princess for $71,000, in order to complete it as a live theatre venue using much of the stage equipment from the National Theatre.
The reopening night of the Princess Theatre, on November 16, 1970, was a gala affair with a performance of 'Hamlet' by the Australian Ballet and attended by various luminaries, including the Governor-General, Sir Paul Hasluck.
Since then the Princess has become Launceston's iconic multi-purpose venue that has hosted a diverse range of entertainment such as occasional blockbuster movies, national and international performers, plays, school performances and local dance competitions.